Student Defense Receives $500k Investment from Humanity AI to Advance SHAPE AI Work
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT
Student Defense Receives $500k Investment from Humanity AI to Advance SHAPE AI Work
Washington, D.C. — Student Defense today received $500,000 in funding from Humanity AI, a collaborative philanthropic initiative dedicated to ensuring that artificial intelligence (AI) serves the public good.
The money will be used to further the progress being made through the “Safeguarding Higher-Ed Through AI Practices & Ethics” (SHAPE) AI Initiative, which was launched in September 2025 to provide strategic guidance, policy recommendations, and educational resources that promote ethical, responsible, student-friendly, and transparent uses of AI in higher education. SHAPE AI brings together higher education leaders and experts to develop guidance and best practices for how colleges and universities use AI. Most recently, the group unveiled the “Student AI Bill of Rights,” which a Forbes columnist called “the most concrete student-facing framework yet for what transparency, oversight, data sovereignty, safe use, and AI literacy should look like on campus.”
“AI is rapidly reshaping higher education. While the new technology will undoubtedly lead to transformative opportunities on campus, it also exposes students to a new world of risks. That’s why SHAPE AI is working to address the increasing need for guidelines and guardrails to ensure students are supported and protected through the rapid adoption of AI on campuses across the country,” said Student Defense President Aaron Ament. “It’s an honor to be selected for Humanity AI’s inaugural round of funding to support this crucial work.”
“The promise of AI will be realized when communities have a seat at the table – not just as users, but as architects of the systems that affect their lives,” said John Palfrey, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. “Humanity AI is investing in organizations that show what it looks like to build a future with AI that is accountable, inclusive, and designed in the public interest.”
"Humanity AI tells a different story about artificial intelligence — one where the goal isn't efficiency or the bottom line, but human flourishing," said Michele Jawando, CEO of Omidyar Group. "Through our support for technologists, artists, academics, journalists, and community organizations, we have big ambitions for what's truly possible — these are the architects of an AI future that benefits everyone."
Launched in October 2025 as a broad coalition of philanthropic leaders, Humanity AI is a $500M five-year philanthropic initiative dedicated to making sure our future with AI is shaped by and for people. For more information about Humanity AI and the inaugural grantees, visit humanityai.ai.
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About Student DefenseThe National Student Legal Defense Network (“Student Defense”) is a non-profit organization that works, through litigation and advocacy, to advance students' rights to educational opportunity and to ensure that higher education provides a launching point for economic mobility.
About Humanity AI The Humanity AI founding partners are theDoris Duke Foundation,Ford Foundation,Lumina Foundation,Kapor Foundation,John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation,Mellon Foundation,Mozilla Foundation,Omidyar Network,David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Siegel Family Endowment.
