Sarah Downey
@sarahdowney.bsky.social
Ethical AI for Nonprofits | Workshops • Tools • Policies
www.sarahdowneyconsulting.com
linkedin.com/in/sarahdowney1
www.sarahdowneyconsulting.com
linkedin.com/in/sarahdowney1
Lately I’ve been sitting with the strange mix of awe and unease that AI brings. The sense of being fed by something we can’t fully trust or understand.
A dream handed me the clearest metaphor I’ve felt yet for that tension.
I wrote about it here:
sdowney.substack.com/p/my-dream-a...
A dream handed me the clearest metaphor I’ve felt yet for that tension.
I wrote about it here:
sdowney.substack.com/p/my-dream-a...
My Dream About the Void
The Tension of Consuming AI's Gifts and Risks
sdowney.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Lately I’ve been sitting with the strange mix of awe and unease that AI brings. The sense of being fed by something we can’t fully trust or understand.
A dream handed me the clearest metaphor I’ve felt yet for that tension.
I wrote about it here:
sdowney.substack.com/p/my-dream-a...
A dream handed me the clearest metaphor I’ve felt yet for that tension.
I wrote about it here:
sdowney.substack.com/p/my-dream-a...
Canada’s pause on AI legislation = a pivotal moment for nonprofits.
What’s paused, what’s possible, and where governance fits in.
A nonprofit-friendly summary of what’s happening and why it matters.
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
What’s paused, what’s possible, and where governance fits in.
A nonprofit-friendly summary of what’s happening and why it matters.
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
Canada's AI landscape is transforming - and nonprofits have a unique opportunity to shape what comes next. | Sarah Downey
Canada's AI landscape is transforming - and nonprofits have a unique opportunity to shape what comes next.
In June 2025, Canada hit pause on Bill C-27 and its key AI framework, AIDA. In its place: a ...
www.linkedin.com
July 24, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Canada’s pause on AI legislation = a pivotal moment for nonprofits.
What’s paused, what’s possible, and where governance fits in.
A nonprofit-friendly summary of what’s happening and why it matters.
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
What’s paused, what’s possible, and where governance fits in.
A nonprofit-friendly summary of what’s happening and why it matters.
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
Policies don’t have to be static.
They can be living, evolving reflections of what matters most.
New post on why AI policy is the perfect sandbox for doing governance differently.
www.linkedin.com/posts/sarahd...
They can be living, evolving reflections of what matters most.
New post on why AI policy is the perfect sandbox for doing governance differently.
www.linkedin.com/posts/sarahd...
I’ve been sitting with this question lately: | Sarah Downey
I’ve been sitting with this question lately:
What will it feel like to work in an AI-shaped workplace?
Not just how it will work, but how it will feel to be part of it.
So many of the policies we’ve...
www.linkedin.com
June 12, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Policies don’t have to be static.
They can be living, evolving reflections of what matters most.
New post on why AI policy is the perfect sandbox for doing governance differently.
www.linkedin.com/posts/sarahd...
They can be living, evolving reflections of what matters most.
New post on why AI policy is the perfect sandbox for doing governance differently.
www.linkedin.com/posts/sarahd...
Saw another post today about not using AI because
“it uses too much energy.”
Okay. But so does your morning coffee.
(Actually, more.)
If we care about energy, let’s look at the full picture.
AI, Energy Use, and the Coffee Dilemma → www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
“it uses too much energy.”
Okay. But so does your morning coffee.
(Actually, more.)
If we care about energy, let’s look at the full picture.
AI, Energy Use, and the Coffee Dilemma → www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
May 29, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Saw another post today about not using AI because
“it uses too much energy.”
Okay. But so does your morning coffee.
(Actually, more.)
If we care about energy, let’s look at the full picture.
AI, Energy Use, and the Coffee Dilemma → www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
“it uses too much energy.”
Okay. But so does your morning coffee.
(Actually, more.)
If we care about energy, let’s look at the full picture.
AI, Energy Use, and the Coffee Dilemma → www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
AI: here to analyze data, summarize dry reports in the style of your favourite author, and maybe even save your soul from the 5-day grind.
I’m rooting for that.
Wrote this about creativity, work, and the blank page: open.substack.com/pub/sdowney/...
I’m rooting for that.
Wrote this about creativity, work, and the blank page: open.substack.com/pub/sdowney/...
You Were Creative Before You Were Productive
Could the Rise of AI Help us to Reclaim Our Humanity?
open.substack.com
May 15, 2025 at 8:28 PM
AI: here to analyze data, summarize dry reports in the style of your favourite author, and maybe even save your soul from the 5-day grind.
I’m rooting for that.
Wrote this about creativity, work, and the blank page: open.substack.com/pub/sdowney/...
I’m rooting for that.
Wrote this about creativity, work, and the blank page: open.substack.com/pub/sdowney/...
futurism.com/altman-pleas...
My thoughts: Being polite to AI is about who WE are. If a few kind words are the threat to AI efficiency… the problem isn’t the words. It’s the world we’re building.
My thoughts: Being polite to AI is about who WE are. If a few kind words are the threat to AI efficiency… the problem isn’t the words. It’s the world we’re building.
Sam Altman Admits That Saying "Please" and "Thank You" to ChatGPT Is Wasting Millions of Dollars in Computing Power
Sam Altman says OpenAI is spending "tens of millions of dollars" processing chatbot queries made with proper etiquette.
futurism.com
April 23, 2025 at 8:49 PM
futurism.com/altman-pleas...
My thoughts: Being polite to AI is about who WE are. If a few kind words are the threat to AI efficiency… the problem isn’t the words. It’s the world we’re building.
My thoughts: Being polite to AI is about who WE are. If a few kind words are the threat to AI efficiency… the problem isn’t the words. It’s the world we’re building.
Helping nonprofits build custom GPT tools + responsible AI policies is quickly becoming my focus and the need is growing fast.
Here’s why it matters now 👇
#AIforGood #NonprofitTech #EthicalAI
Here’s why it matters now 👇
#AIforGood #NonprofitTech #EthicalAI
3 Key Reasons Nonprofits Need AI Policies Today | Notion
We’re living through a seismic shift. Artificial Intelligence is transforming how organizations operate, connect, and serve.
www.notion.so
April 21, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Helping nonprofits build custom GPT tools + responsible AI policies is quickly becoming my focus and the need is growing fast.
Here’s why it matters now 👇
#AIforGood #NonprofitTech #EthicalAI
Here’s why it matters now 👇
#AIforGood #NonprofitTech #EthicalAI
Everyone’s worried about AI waking up. But what if the real mystery isn’t AI’s consciousness—but our own? Let’s rethink this together
open.substack.com/pub/sdowney/...
open.substack.com/pub/sdowney/...
March 10, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Everyone’s worried about AI waking up. But what if the real mystery isn’t AI’s consciousness—but our own? Let’s rethink this together
open.substack.com/pub/sdowney/...
open.substack.com/pub/sdowney/...
Research aside, I was curious to see what a direct approach with ChatGPT would reveal about politeness—and here’s what it said! 🤖✨
January 4, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Research aside, I was curious to see what a direct approach with ChatGPT would reveal about politeness—and here’s what it said! 🤖✨
Ever wondered if saying "please" and "thank you" to AI makes a difference? Studies show it does! hackernoon.com/manners-matt... Try it out! #AIExperiments #NiceToRobots
January 4, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Ever wondered if saying "please" and "thank you" to AI makes a difference? Studies show it does! hackernoon.com/manners-matt... Try it out! #AIExperiments #NiceToRobots
Omg, I truly appreciate this early stage of AI-generated images. 😂 Thanks for keeping things interesting, robots.
December 19, 2024 at 8:40 PM
Omg, I truly appreciate this early stage of AI-generated images. 😂 Thanks for keeping things interesting, robots.
Why be polite to robots?
Research shows treating AI with respect (like saying please) helps us collaborate better—with machines and each other. Politeness trains ***us*** to be better collaborators, and kindness is contagious. Let’s work better, together. 🤖✨ #NiceToRobots #AIforChange
Research shows treating AI with respect (like saying please) helps us collaborate better—with machines and each other. Politeness trains ***us*** to be better collaborators, and kindness is contagious. Let’s work better, together. 🤖✨ #NiceToRobots #AIforChange
December 12, 2024 at 9:32 PM
Why be polite to robots?
Research shows treating AI with respect (like saying please) helps us collaborate better—with machines and each other. Politeness trains ***us*** to be better collaborators, and kindness is contagious. Let’s work better, together. 🤖✨ #NiceToRobots #AIforChange
Research shows treating AI with respect (like saying please) helps us collaborate better—with machines and each other. Politeness trains ***us*** to be better collaborators, and kindness is contagious. Let’s work better, together. 🤖✨ #NiceToRobots #AIforChange