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Encode Justice is mobilizing communities for fairer, more ethical AI.

Image credit: NBC News.

Algorithms have left no part of our world untouched, revolutionizing cancer diagnosis in one context and assisting pretrial release decisions for criminal defendants in another. However, the bias that plagues human decision-making can reach even the seemingly impenetrable, objective mathematical formulae that define artificial intelligence.For example, algorithms used in the U.S. criminal justice system are trained on historical datasets that reflect the disproportionate policing and incarceration of communities of color. They’re taught to make independent decisions by analyzing countless instances of real-world data in search of patterns that explain certain results.This process forces them to unconsciously digest the bias that has historically victimized marginalized groups. As some have put it, the devil is in the data.That’s where Encode Justice comes in.

WE’RE A COALITION OF YOUTH ACTIVISTS AND CHANGEMAKERS FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND JUSTICE UNDER AI. HARNESSING A GLOBAL NETWORK OF VOLUNTEERS FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND WORLD, WE CHAMPION INFORMED AI POLICY AND ENCOURAGE YOUTH TO CONFRONT THE CHALLENGES OF THE AGE OF AUTOMATION THROUGH POLITICAL ADVOCACY, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, AND CONTENT CREATION.

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One-pager written by the policy sector on the NUDGE Act

One-pager written by the California chapter on CA AB 858: Protecting Patients from Biased
or Inaccurate Medical Algorithms

One-pager written by the Arizona chapter on the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act

One-pager written by the Nevada chapter on the Advancing American Artificial Intelligence Innovation Act

One-pager written by the Pennsylvania chapter on a proposed amendment to the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances

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CAMPAIGNS

The Deepfake Accountability Campaign (March 2021—)

The Stand Up to Surveillance Campaign (November 2020—)

Image credit: Perpetual Lineup.

The same software used to surveil Uyghur Muslims in China has contributed to the wrongful arrests of Black men in Detroit: facial recognition technology. It has also enabled unchecked privacy abuses at the hands of ICE and has been used to monitor Black Lives Matter protestors exercising their constitutional rights, disproportionately misidentifying Black, Brown, and Asian Americans; women; and LGBTQ+ individuals. With our Stand Up to Surveillance campaign, we’re lobbying for a federal ban on government use of facial recognition and have already partnered with multiple city councils to push for local action. We’re hosting workshops and events; coordinating organizational partnerships; operating our very own Students Against Facial Recognition committee, which unites representatives from various student-led organizations; and compiling original research reports and policy proposals, through which we’ve collaborated with officials on every level, from local legislators to the White House.

The Say No to SB 10 Campaign (July-November 2020)

Pretrial risk assessment simulation via detainrelease.com.

California Senate Bill 10 (which was on the November 2020 ballot for voters in the form of Proposition 25) would have replaced the evil of cash bail with the combined evil of pretrial risk assessment tools and reduced judicial accountability. It would have expanded a system of automated racial profiling that only fuels pretrial incarceration while empowering judges and probation with funding and discretion. As a member organization of the Committee Against Pretrial Racism and the JusticeLA Coalition, Encode Justice recognized that a Yes vote on Proposition 25 would only further erode the California criminal legal system.As part of this campaign, we collaborated with other community-based groups, phone banking, text banking, email banking, organizing social media advocacy, creating informational content like articles and videos, and hosting events. The campaign ended with a resounding victory; California voters ended up rejecting the measure by a 13% margin. Click here to learn more.

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For general inquiries, please contact info@encodejustice.org

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SNEHA REVANUR

FOUNDER/PRESIDENT
San Jose, California
sneha@encodejustice.org

Sneha Revanur (she/her) is a freshman at Williams College committed to asking critical, big-picture questions about the future of innovation. In July 2020, she founded Encode Justice, an international, youth-powered organization building a movement for human-centered artificial intelligence. As a 2022 Cameron Impact Scholar, one of California’s two delegates to the 2022 U.S. Senate Youth Program, a 2021 Princeton Prize in Race Relations Recipient, and a 2021 Youth to the Front Fund Frontliner, her efforts to reshape her generation's collective AI future have been extensively recognized. She has had the honor of presenting to audiences at the U.S. Department of Education, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Museum of Science, NASA Ames, and the University of Cambridge’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence. Outside of Encode Justice, Sneha loves to collect postcards, read investigative journalism, learn languages, visit art museums, and travel.

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STEPHANIE HU

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY
Mission Viejo, California
stephaniehu4123@gmail.com

Stephanie Hu (she/her) is a freshman at Harvard University. She is the Director of Strategy at Encode Justice. Stephanie is involved in several advocacy efforts, serving as the Executive Director of Dear Asian Youth, the Co-Founder of CUSD Against Racism, and the Education Policy Director at the California Association of Student Councils. In her free time, she loves to write poetry, discover aesthetic cafes, binge-watch Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and travel!

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KASHYAP RAJESH

CHAPTER COORDINATOR
Lincolnshire, Illinois
krvsgg@gmail.com

Kashyap Rajesh is a junior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School. At Encode Justice, Kashyap serves as the Global Chapter Coordinator and Illinois chapter lead. In his role as Global Chapter Coordinator, Kashyap has had the opportunity to help build our vast chapter network, aiding in the development and expansion of 45+ chapters across the globe. Outside of Encode Justice, Kashyap maintains a passion for civics; he works on local, state, and federal electoral campaigns. He also fights for substance use prevention and regulation in partnership with the Catalyst Coalition and National Prevention Coalition. In his free time, he enjoys participating in school organizations like Debate, Mock Trial, and Youth and Government.

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SHREYA SAMPATH

U.S. CHAPTER PROJECTS MANAGER
Livingston, New Jersey
shreyu.sampath@gmail.com

Shreya Sampath (she/her) is a senior at Livingston High School in Livingston, New Jersey. At Encode Justice, serves as the U.S. Chapter Projects Manager and the New Jersey Co-Chapter Lead. Passionate about protecting civil rights in the digital age, Shreya works at the local, state, and federal level to support chapters in their pursuits to educate the public and advocate for technology policy that promotes equity. Outside of Encode Justice, Shreya loves listening to music, making/drinking coffee, and traveling to new cities.

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RAKSHA GOVIND

CO-DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY
Suwanee, Georgia
advocacy@encodejustice.org; rakshagovind@gmail.com

Raksha Govind (she/her) is a freshman at Georgia Institute of Technology passionate about utilizing research to push for progressive policy change. She currently serves as the Co-Director of Advocacy. Outside of EJ, she competes in Varsity Debate and conducts research at the Center for Science and Law. ln her free time, she loves dancing, teaching debate to youth in her community, and supporting civic engagement initiatives.

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PRANAV JAGANATHAN

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Frisco, Texas
pranavrvg@gmail.com

Pranav Jaganathan (he/him) is a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves as the Director of Finance and Technology at Encode Justice. He's heavily involved in his school’s DECA chapter as the president and is a member of his district’s Student Advisory Council. After high school, Pranav wants to major in economics and pursue a career in law and government.

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ANDREA HURTADO

DIRECTOR OF EXPANSION
Miami, Florida
andrehur077@gmail.com

Andrea Hurtado (she/her) is a freshman at Stanford University planning to study Computer Science on the AI or HCI track. She currently serves as the Director of Expansion. Outside of Encode Justice, Andrea works for non-profit organizations in her community tied to bringing more women to computer science. Andrea spends her free time practicing photography, calligraphy, and digital art.

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SUMANTH RATNA

DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
Centreville, Virginia
research@encodejustice.org; sumanthratna@gmail.com

Sumanth Ratna (he/him) is a freshman at Yale University. As Director of Research, he plans to use his experiences in civic technology and deep learning research to lead various projects on algorithmic bias at Encode Justice. Passionate about using tech to impact people, he also works on computational biology research at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. In his free time, you'll often find Sumanth playing basketball and chess with his friends.

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OKEZUE BELL

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
Easton, Pennsylvania
research@encodejustice.org; okezuebell@gmail.com

Okezue Bell (he/him) is a senior at Moravian Academy High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania who is passionate about youth empowerment, social/environmental justice, and technology. He currently conducts research at Harvard Medical School and the MIT Media Lab, working on various neurology and machine learning projects. In 2022, Okezue was 1 of 81 students worldwide named an MIT-Research Science Institute (RSI) Scholar, which is considered the most prestigious research program for high school students worldwide. His work has also been recognized at international science fairs and conferences globally, having spoken at Web Summit, the world’s largest technology conference, Accenture, the national symposium in humanities and sciences (NJSHS), and more.In addition to his research, Okezue is an ardent advocate for both musical art and justice. He has advised sustainability brands such as Perfect Day, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, evolvetogether, Shiok Meats, and more. Okezue’s student workshops/meet-ups have also reached an estimated 50,000+ youth. When he’s not at a computer or the lab (or drinking boba and/or catching up on Stranger Things), Okezue enjoys playing his violin, and performed at Carnegie Hall in February 2022, performing a solo piece in front of the audience. He joined Encode Justice as Deputy Director of Research with the hopes of both empowering youth and helping to develop effective artificial intelligence that is as equitable as it is useful.

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ADRIAN KLAITS

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK LEAD
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
adrianklaits@gmail.com

Adrian Klaits (he/him) is a senior at the International School Of Tanganyika in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He currently serves as the Director of International Affairs at Encode Justice. Outside of Encode Justice, he has served as vice chair of the Virginia Democratic Teen Caucus and as an intern for his state delegate. Adrian also plays for his varsity baseball team, enjoys learning languages, and listens to all kinds of music.

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AUSTEN WYCHE

CO-DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY
Madison, Alabama
advocacy@encodejustice.org; mawyche0303@gmail.com

Austen Wyche (he/him) is a senior from James Clemens High School in Madison, Alabama. He serves as the Co-Director of Advocacy in addition to the Alabama State Lead. In this capacity, he co-leads the advocacy sector of Encode Justice, executes initiatives on the local, state, and federal levels, and directs projects for fellows across the world. Outside of Encode Justice, he loves to travel, listen to music, and learn more about American history and global movements for equal rights.

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VIDYA BHARADWAJ

CO-DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
education@encodejustice.org; findvidyaonline@gmail.com

Vidya Bharadwaj (she/her) is a freshman at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is passionate about STEM and social justice. She currently serves as the Co-Director of Education at Encode Justice. At school, she is the president of the Girls In STEAM club, and is a part of both Model UN and peer tutoring. She is extremely dedicated to bridging the gender gap in STEM and runs GirlCon, an international tech conference that aims to empower women in STEM. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, singing, and playing water polo!

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NATALYAH CADICHE

CO-DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Union City, New Jersey
education@encodejustice.org; ncadiche04@gmail.com

Natalyah Cadiche (she/her) is a freshman at the University of Chicago. She’s passionate about working with technology and expanding its possibilities but also hopes to prioritize people’s rights and equality in her work. Encode Justice has given her the opportunity to explore the legal aspects of technology while educating herself and others on the extent of AI’s influence.

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ANDREW NG

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Wellesley, Massachusetts
education@encodejustice.org; ngandrew28@gmail.com

Andrew Ng (he/him) is a freshman at Tufts University. At Encode Justice, he serves as Deputy Director of Education. Andrew has also organized and run phone banks for Michelle Wu’s campaign for mayor of Boston. In his free time, he enjoys reading, hiking, and eating spicy food with friends.

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MAYA DUMMETT

CO-DIRECTOR OF POLICY
Morristown, New Jersey
policy@encodejustice.org; mayandummett@gmail.com

Maya Dummett (she/her) is a freshman at Harvard University. She serves as the Co-Director of Policy at Encode Justice. Maya is passionate about using the intersection of government and computer science for social good. Outside of Encode Justice, Maya is active in the spheres of political organizing, youth activism, computer science education, and academic research.

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CONAN LU

CO-DIRECTOR OF POLICY
Redmond, Washington
policy@encodejustice.org; conanlu4@gmail.com

Conan Lu (he/him) is a freshman at Harvard University. His work as a researcher centers on improving data privacy with image protections. As Co-Director of Policy, he centers the perspectives of marginalized communities and examines technology critically to mitigate algorithmic harms.