A record of the work.

On Saturday 30 August 2025, approximately 1,000 people convened at Industry City on the Brooklyn waterfront for the inaugural Habibi Tech Summit — the largest gathering of Muslim technologists ever held. The event programmed 50 speakers across four stages, drew more than 25 exhibitor booths and 36 partner organizations, and ran twelve hours in a single day.

The mission was simple and unprecedented: gather 1,000 Muslim leaders in one room and align them on the responsibility of shaping AI — the most consequential technology of our generation. The inaugural summit demonstrated that the demand exists, the community is organized, and the infrastructure to convene it at scale is real.

The 2026 summit builds on that foundation — expanding programming, deepening partnerships, and positioning the event as a permanent fixture of UN Week alongside the institutions that have defined that convening for decades.

The Central New York Ethical AI Creator Lab is AISDG's place-based bet on Upstate New York. The 12-week pilot program prepares underserved individuals — especially those excluded from emerging tech industries — to develop AI-powered tools, public works, and creative technologies that serve the public good.

Participants in three tracks — Rights-Aware Digital Citizenship, Cinematic Futures, and Memory & Media — gain hands-on experience building real-world AI products while contributing to meaningful cultural, civic, and media projects. The program includes eleven named mentors from across film, journalism, civic technology, and creative media.

The pilot is backed by eight institutional partners — including WAER, WCNY, CreateTV, the Onondaga Historical Association, Syracuse City Schools, and the City of Syracuse — who have committed in-kind support. The Central New York Community Foundation awarded the Lab a $25,000 grant in 2026, moving it from design toward a funded cohort.