AI-powered impact: GitHub Social Impact’s year ahead

How GitHub Social Impact is working with nonprofit organizations, employees, and more to create positive, lasting change in global communities.

In today’s world, the power of tech is undeniable. I’m thrilled to share new work that we have launched, especially focused on the myriad ways that GitHub, GitHub Copilot, and technology in general can be leveraged to address some of the world’s toughest challenges. As we embark on a new age of artificial intelligence (AI), we are faced with both challenges and opportunities for society at large. As the Head of Social Impact at GitHub, I am here to challenge our community to think about how to leverage this power for good, in ways that are transformative, systemic, and sustainable.

Authentic leadership

GitHub is a platform for software developers to build, scale, and deliver secure software while also creating a positive impact on society. There are over 100 million developers on the platform, many who are passionate about societal issues and want to have values-driven and high-impact careers. As a company, we strive to lead in an ethical way and deploy products and tools that empower developers and engage employees in communities who are passionate about impact driven work. Together with our employees, developers, and partners—and with a focus on skilling, accessibility, sustainability, and humanitarian response—we can drive positive and lasting contributions to the world.

Skilling

At GitHub, we believe that everyone should have an equal opportunity to not only use technology, but also create it. Building a more diverse and inclusive tech industry makes for better, more innovative products that serve a broader audience and have the potential to positively impact society as a whole. This is especially true of open source software development, which has revolutionized our relationship to technology and transformed the world we live in today. Unfortunately, not everyone has equal access to the educational and infrastructural support needed to join—let alone advance in—the developer community. As the largest open source platform in the world, GitHub is uniquely positioned to lower barriers to entry in open source and help close gaps in representation in tech more broadly. Working with our network of developers and partner organizations, our social impact team connects individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds in tech with the research-backed tools, training, and support they need to join and thrive in open source. Addressing the gap between underserved communities and skilling for the future of technology, GitHub has committed to skilling 5,000 people in open source in the next three years. We believe that by working together with our partners to provide the right resources to the people who need them, we can create a future where everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the power of technology.

Learn more about our efforts on skilling here.

Accessibility

Access to technology is a fundamental human right. Everyone deserves to have the opportunity to create, innovate, and collaborate while contributing to our digital future. As the home for all developers, we’re committed to empowering people with disabilities and ensuring that there is full and equal participation of people with disabilities in the development process.

Learn more about our efforts on accessibility here.

Environmental sustainability

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of this century. In partnership with Microsoft, the developer community, our employees, and social sector organizations, we are building a sustainable global platform that empowers developer collaboration, accelerates human progress, and contributes to the protection of our world.

Learn more about our efforts on environmental sustainability here.

Humanitarian response

Humanitarian crises strike at a moment’s notice. No matter the emergency, we work together with nonprofit organizations and the developer community to act with swiftness, transparency, and trust to ensure GitHub teams and technologies have the highest impact on humanitarian aid. Be it through our Skills-Based Volunteering (SBV) employee volunteering program or our dedicated grantmaking fund, we prioritize our humanitarian response to achieve high-impact positive change to those who need it most.

Learn more about our efforts on humanitarian response here.

The future of tech for good

Imagine projects that tackle these topics at scale. Imagine tens of millions of developers deployed toward social good. Imagine the power of AI toward social progress. We have the opportunity to leverage technology for the greater good, to create systemic change, and to build a better and bolder future. It is up to us at GitHub to take on this challenge and make it a reality. Join us in shaping a better future by staying tuned to our website. We’re committed to empowering developers, nonprofits, and non-governmental organizations to drive positive and lasting change with the help of GitHub products, brand, resources, and employees. The future is bright for this exciting work, and we invite you to be a part of it.

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