Call for Fellows
We're writing a new narrative for AI. Want to help shape it?
The Public AI Creative Fellowship, hosted by Metagov, invites three fellows—a Video Creator, a Creative Technologist, and a Writer—to collaboratively craft a compelling cultural and political vision for public AI. Over eight months, each fellow will receive a $5,000 stipend to develop original work that makes the case for why AI should be built as public infrastructure—accountable, inclusive, and open.
This fellowship explores how creative practice can generate momentum behind public alternatives to today’s private AI. The resulting outputs will range from narrative storytelling to video campaigns to interactive installations—each designed to shift public discourse and engage broad audiences.
All fellows will be encouraged to use AI tools in their own creative processes, both as a medium and as a subject of exploration.
Fellowship Tracks
We are seeking one fellow for each of the following tracks:
🎥 The Video Creator: Produces a short documentary, video series, or other multimedia work that distills and dramatizes the stakes of public AI. Open to social media creators, documentarians, animators, and filmmakers.
🧩 The Creative Technologist: Designs and develops interactive digital content—e.g. websites, games, bots, speculative apps—that invites audiences to explore the implications of public AI.
✍️ The Writer: Produces a narrative essay, work of fiction, or creative nonfiction piece that builds a new political imaginary for AI. Can include speculative fiction, oral history, or persuasive political writing.
These fellows will collaborate, share ideas and themes, and contribute to a shared narrative ecosystem.
Why Now?
AI is shaping how decisions are made, who gets heard, and what futures are possible. But most major AI systems are built by private companies under extractive models. The idea of public AI—AI systems that are open, democratically governed, and accountable to the communities they affect—is gaining momentum.
To make public AI real, we need infrastructure. But we also need imagination.
The Public AI Creative Fellowship is a call to create the cultural scaffolding for a world where AI belongs to all of us.
What We're Offering
Over eight months, the three fellows will collaborate in crafting new narratives for public AI. Each fellow will receive a $5,000 stipend for their participation.
What the Fellowship Involves
The fellowship will unfold in two phases:
Phase 1: Intensive Exploration (Months 1–3). Fellows will experiment with creative formats, collaboratively explore narratives, and prototype approaches to reimagining AI as a public good. This phase emphasizes iteration, cross-pollination across disciplines, and grounding speculative ideas in tangible media.
Phase 2: Public Development (Months 4–6). Fellows will refine their work into an interactive, public-facing experience. This may include a web-based installation, multimedia piece, or performative artifact that invites public engagement with the concept of public AI.
Fellowship Commitments
Fellows should expect to commit around 5 hours per week during the term of the fellowship program. In particular, they will be expected to contribute to:
- Weekly team meetings (Remote/Zoom)
- Weekly, async updates to the Public AI Slack
- Monthly team reports
- Three presentations: (1) One internal Public AI call (Remote/Zoom), (2) One user testing session (Remote/Zoom), and (3) One public presentation to the Public AI Seminar (Remote/Zoom)
Additional requirements:
- Attend a 2-hour kickoff meeting (Remote/Zoom)
- Attend a 2-hour long mid-fellowship check-in (Remote/Zoom)
- Join and coordinate on the Public AI Slack
This work will be supported by engagements with the Public AI community, the fellowship director, and contributions from interdisciplinary practitioners. Fellows will shape the project's direction as co-creators, bringing their unique perspectives to the work.
The fellowship will run alongside a public speculative fiction contest, which will surface narratives and themes around public AI from a wider pool of contributors. Fellows may draw inspiration from contest submissions, with attribution.
Who Should Apply
We are looking for creative professionals, artists, technologists, and writers who:
- Care deeply about democratic technology, equity, or public infrastructure
- Have experience creating high-quality media, digital works, or storytelling
- Are excited to work across disciplines and contribute to a shared cause
- Are already exploring how AI can be used in their craft, or eager to experiment with AI as part of the fellowship
Applications are open to already formed teams of three as well as to pairs or individuals. If your team does not have all three roles, you can apply as an individual or pair of two and be matched with another fellow. You can find other applicants and propose teams by joining the Metagov Slack and posting in the #public-ai channel.
Apply Now
Apply now at this link. Applications are open from May 26, 2025 to July 15, 2025.
Fellowship Timeline
- May 26, 2025 – Open call released
- July 15, 2025 – Applications due
- July 25–29, 2025 – Shortlist notifications
- August 4–8, 2025 – Individual interviews
- August 11–15, 2025 – Collaborative team interviews
- August 22, 2025 – Fellows selected
- August 29, 2025 – Fellowship begins
- November 17, 2025 – Midpoint check-in
- February 28, 2026 – Fellowship ends
The Public AI Creative Fellowship is a project of Metagov, with grant support from the Center for Cultural Innovation - AmbitioUS.
Please direct any inquiries to Joshua Tan at josh@metagov.org.
Who We Are
Metagov is a laboratory for digital governance. We develop tools, standards, and practices that empower self-governance in the digital age—from open-source software to online communities to global infrastructure. Our work spans research, advocacy, and infrastructure-building in pursuit of a governance layer for the internet.
Our work happens in and across various communities of research and practice, with leading researchers working in internet governance today, including some of the key people behind Creative Commons, platform cooperativism, blockchain law, and deliberative tooling.
We have a history of playful experimentation with governance, and previously ran The Groundwork Fellowship, a year-long, three-month intensive, online fellowship that invited four community-based research fellows from Kenya, Myanmar, Spain, and Syria who conducted research in, with, and for communities under-represented in internet governance discourses.
Learn more about our people and our work at www.metagov.org.
Requirements and Conditions
By applying applicants understand and agree to following terms and conditions of the fellowship:
Fellowship Commitments
- Participate for the full fellowship (September 2025 - February 2026)
- 5 hours/week average, including weekly team meetings
- Give three team presentations and deliver progress reports
- Use required software (Slack, Zoom, and others as agreed upon by fellowship team)
Policy Agreements
Metagov policies:
Recording policy:
- Public presentations will be recorded and published
Payment & Terms Agreements
Payment Terms:
- Stipend: $5,000 USD total per fellow
- Payment Schedule:
- $2,500 at start
- $2,500 upon completion
- Paid via submission of invoice to the Public AI Open Collective
Completion terms, including withdrawal penalties:
- Early withdrawal (Months 1-4): Return initial payment
- Mid-fellowship withdrawal (Months 5-8): Pro-rated post-intensive payment
- Final payment: Deliverable submitted
Backup Terms:
- May be offered a backup position (4-week duration)
- Backup status does not guarantee future participation
- Can decline without penalty