External Resources¶
This page provides curated resources for building decentralised AI alternatives and democratic technology governance. Rather than attempting to duplicate the expertise of specialist organisations, SafeAI-Aus points you to useful resources for detailed implementation guidance.
Why these resources matter: See Decentralisation & Democratic Control for the strategic case for building AI alternatives.
About this resource list
Page integration reviewed: 18 July 2026 External-link audit: January 2026. The July integration review did not re-audit every external URL. Maintenance: Resources are periodically reviewed for accuracy. If you find broken links or outdated information, please let us know. Not endorsements: Inclusion doesn't constitute endorsement of all positions. These are starting points for your own investigation.
Resource categories
Australian organisations — groups working on digital rights, cooperatives and community technology in Australia
International organisations — global networks for platform cooperativism and community tech
Tools and software — open-source AI tools, governance platforms and infrastructure
Learning and funding — educational resources and funding opportunities
Australian Organisations¶
Australia has active organisations working on digital rights, cooperative economy and community technology. These groups provide expertise, advocacy and practical support for building alternatives.
Digital Rights and Democracy¶
- Electronic Frontiers Australia — Digital rights advocacy
- Digital Rights Watch — Digital rights campaigns
- Australian Privacy Foundation — Privacy advocacy
Cooperative Economy¶
BCCM is a leading Australian starting point for cooperative formation
If you're considering forming a cooperative or want to understand cooperative models, BCCM is a valuable starting point. They provide formation guidance, legal templates, case studies and connections to state-based agencies. Other organisations (listed below) offer state-specific or sector-specific support.
- Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) — Peak body for Australian cooperatives, comprehensive resources
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: register a co-operative — official Victorian guidance
- NSW Government: co-operatives — official NSW guidance
- Consumer Protection WA: co-operatives — official Western Australian guidance
Community Technology¶
- Infoxchange — Tech for social good, Australian community technology projects
- Australian Community Technology Network — Digital inclusion and community technology access
- Community renewable energy cooperatives — Models for community infrastructure ownership (applicable to AI compute infrastructure)
- Community technology centres — Search locally (libraries, councils, community centres often run programs)
- Local government digital inclusion programmes — Contact your council about existing initiatives
International Organisations¶
These international networks provide models, tools and knowledge for cooperative technology and democratic governance. Many principles translate to Australian context, though legal and cultural adaptation is required.
Platform Cooperativism¶
- Platform Cooperativism Consortium — Global network
- DisCO.coop — Distributed cooperative organisations
Community Networks and Tech¶
Research and Advocacy¶
Open-Source AI Tools¶
The tools below enable local AI deployment and open-source development. Rather than depending on cloud APIs, these allow you to run AI on your own infrastructure.
For business context: See how open-source alternatives reduce vendor risk and enable exit rights in our core business resources.
Popular options for local deployment
Ollama: Ollama is a widely used way to run open-source language models locally. Alternatives: LM Studio and GPT4All (listed below) offer different interfaces and capabilities.
Local Deployment¶
- Ollama — Run LLMs locally with easy setup (popular beginner option)
- LM Studio — GUI application for local LLMs (user-friendly interface)
- GPT4All — Open-source local AI with simple installation
Model Repositories¶
- Hugging Face — Central repository for open-source models and datasets (thousands of models available)
Infrastructure¶
- Kubernetes — Container orchestration for production deployments
- Ray — Distributed computing framework for AI workloads
Cooperative Governance Tools¶
These platforms enable democratic decision-making and transparent governance for cooperatives and community organisations. They help translate cooperative principles into practical digital tools.
Decision-Making¶
- Loomio — Collaborative decision-making with proposals and voting
- Decidim — Participatory democracy platform (used by Barcelona and others)
- Pol.is — Real-time democratic input through opinion mapping
Organisation Management¶
- Open Collective — Transparent financial management for collectives
- Cobudget — Collaborative budgeting and resource allocation
Learning Resources¶
Cooperative Development¶
- BCCM research — Australian cooperative reports and resources
- Grassroots Economic Organising — Cooperative economy
AI and Technology¶
- Fast.ai — Practical deep learning courses
- Privacy Guides — Privacy tools and practices
Democratic Technology¶
- Civic Tech Field Guide — Global projects
- Participatory Budgeting Project
Funding and Support¶
Australian Grants¶
For detailed, current grant opportunities, see the AI Grants & Funding in Australia page, which is regularly updated with specific programs and application details.
General categories (programs change frequently):
- Community infrastructure grants (federal, state, local)
- Digital inclusion funding (Australian Government and state programs)
- Cooperative development funds (check with state-based cooperative development agencies via BCCM)
International Funding¶
Academic and Research¶
AI Safety and Governance Research¶
Key AI safety and governance research organisations:
- AI safety research institutions: Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Redwood Research, Apollo Research, MIRI
- Governance research centres: Centre for the Governance of AI (GovAI), CSET (Georgetown), AI Now Institute
- Evaluation organisations: METR, UK AI Safety Institute, Australian AI Safety Institute
For how SafeAI-Aus approaches these topics, see the Framework FAQ.
Cooperative and Commons Research¶
- International Cooperative Alliance — Global cooperative movement and principles
- Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy — Research on cooperative platform economics
Media and Publications¶
Newsletters and Blogs¶
Books and Reports¶
- "Ours to Hack and to Own" — Platform cooperativism
- "The Wealth of Networks" — Yochai Benkler
- "Governing the Commons" — Elinor Ostrom
Standards and Frameworks¶
Cooperative Principles¶
Technology Standards¶
About this list
Curation, not comprehensiveness: This list prioritises quality over quantity. It's not exhaustive—it's a starting point.
Periodic review: Resources are reviewed and updated as the landscape evolves. External links last audited: January 2026. The page integration was reviewed on 18 July 2026, without a full external-link audit.
Report broken links: If you find a broken or outdated link, please let us know so we can update it.
No blanket endorsement: Inclusion doesn't mean SafeAI-Aus endorses everything an organisation does or says.
Suggest additions: When a public feedback mechanism is available, you'll be able to suggest resources for inclusion.
Using these resources effectively¶
Start with Australian organisations — they understand local context, legal frameworks and cultural factors that international resources may miss.
Start with specialist Australian cooperative guidance — BCCM and the relevant state or territory agency can help explain formation pathways and local requirements. Obtain legal advice for the law that applies to your proposed cooperative.
International examples inform, don't prescribe — what works in Barcelona or Taiwan provides ideas, but any Australian approach should be adapted to local law, institutions and community needs.
Tools are means, not ends — governance software doesn't create democracy. It supports democratic processes when used intentionally.
Combine resources — effective work draws on digital rights advocacy (EFA), cooperative development (BCCM), community organising and technical tools together.