New SIPA Initiative Will Expand Access to AI Safety Tools

ROOST, a new initiative incubated by the Institute of Global Politics, will equip organizations with tools to improve digital safety. Its president, Camille François, associate professor at SIPA, will lead the Will Machines Have Free Will panel at Columbia AI Summit on March 4.

February 19, 2025
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At the AI Action Summit in Paris, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) unveiled ROOST (Robust Open Online Safety Tools)—a new open-source initiative aimed at making AI safety tools widely accessible. With $28 million in initial funding from major tech companies and philanthropies, ROOST seeks to equip organizations of all sizes with the tools needed to improve digital safety and security.

“By making robust safety tools accessible through open source, we’re creating a more pluralistic and secure digital future in the age of AI,” said Camille François, ROOST’s founding president and associate professor at SIPA, who will be leading the Will Machines Have Free Will? Shaping the Future of AI panel at the Columbia AI Summit on March 4.

 

“By making robust safety tools accessible through open source, we’re creating a more pluralistic and secure digital future in the age of AI.” — Camille François, ROOST’s founding president.

The initiative will focus on:

  • AI-powered detection of child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
  • Automated content moderation tools
  • Transparent AI-driven security infrastructure

Supported by Google, OpenAI, Discord, Roblox, and others, ROOST is incubated at SIPA’s Institute of Global Politics (IGP) and takes a collaborative approach to developing AI safety tools that are transparent and scalable. François and her team at Columbia emphasize that making these tools widely available can help strengthen digital resilience and adaptability across different sectors.

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“Digital independence is essential for democracy to thrive,” said Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and SIPA professor, who co-leads SIPA’s tech initiative. “ROOST gives news organizations and community platforms the ability to shape their own spaces, rather than relying on a handful of dominant social media platforms.”

ROOST will operate as an independent nonprofit, maintaining close ties with Columbia while working across sectors to develop critical AI safety infrastructure.

François will expand on these ideas at at the Columbia AI Summit on March 4, where she will lead the, Will Machines Have Free Will? Shaping the Future of AI, panel exploring AI governance and societal impact. 


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