Empire of AI — Key Takeaways

Reading notes — Chan Centre Insights, UBC

Empire of AI & the Fight
for Our Future

Karen Hao in conversation with Naomi Klein. Key framework: who controls AI, what it costs, and what alternatives exist.

Click any card to learn more. Shared by a colleague via the SEWA Cooperative Federation.

Empire of AI — current path
Community AI — the alternative
Scale race to AGI
First to "win" controls everything
vs
Start with community needs
What problems actually need solving?
Massive resource extraction
Energy, water, data, human labor
vs
Task-specific small models
Bicycles, not rockets
Costs fall on the vulnerable
Climate, communities, workers
vs
Equitable, dignified outcomes
Local language, access, consent

The resistance — three active fronts

Tech workers
Walkouts, open letters, anonymous organizing
Communities
Blocking data center expansion globally
Policy & law
Transparency rules, data rights, labor norms
Based on: Empire of AI by Karen Hao (2025) · Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, UBC · In conversation with Naomi Klein
chancentre.com
JH Cohort 1 — Fellowship Report

PRADAN × SEWA Cooperative Federation

JH Cohort 1
Fellowship Report

A cohort of 22 grassroots women FPO leaders from Jharkhand — their journeys, learnings, and voices.

22
Active fellows
40
Average age
13
FPOs represented
6
Chairpersons
5
Secretaries
4
Graduates

Who are the fellows?

Demographics, roles, education and PRADAN experience across the cohort

Role distribution

Chairperson: 6, Secretary: 5, BOD: 7, Treasurer: 4
Chairperson (6) Secretary (5) BOD (7) Treasurer (4)

Age distribution

20s: 6, 30s: 4, 40s: 10, 50s: 2

Education level

Graduate: 4, 10th-12th: 8, 6th-9th: 7, Non-matric/Inter: 3

Experience with PRADAN (years)

1 year: 3, 2-3 years: 5, 4-5 years: 5, 6-10 years: 5, 10+ years: 4

Monthly income range across cohort (₹)

Under 5k: 2, 5-6k: 7, 7-10k: 8, 10-15k: 3, 20k+: 2

What did they learn?

Key themes emerging across fellows — frequency of mention in documentation

Learning theme frequency (no. of fellows mentioning each theme)

Governance: 19, Business planning/5Ps: 15, Second line leadership: 13, Financial management: 14, Collective strength: 12, Experiential learning: 13, Communication/Presentation: 13, Work-life balance: 9, Self-development/Mindset: 8, Networking: 7, Documentation: 7, Role models: 6

Competency growth radar

Estimated cohort-wide growth across 6 dimensions

6 competency areas rated on scale of 1-10

Most impactful learning modalities

Exposure visits: 13, Activity/games: 11, Story-based sessions: 9, Role play: 7, Peer discussion: 5
Exposure visits (13) Activity/games (11) Story-based (9) Role play (7) Peer discussion (5)

Second line leadership — who mentioned it

Alpana Marandi
Asha Bharati
Binu Devi
Karuna Devi
Nirmala Hansada
Pano Tudu
Pramila Devi
Rani Murmu
Rita Murmu
Sarita Kumari
Santoshini Marandi
Sushila Marandi
Talco Tudu

59% of the cohort explicitly identified the need to build second-line leadership as a key takeaway.

Challenges faced

Shared and individual barriers reported across the cohort

Challenge frequency (no. of fellows reporting)

Transportation: 18, Member mobilization: 17, Domestic responsibilities: 15, Irregular board meetings: 12, Market access/middlemen: 9, Knowledge gaps in BOD: 7, Family resistance: 4, Time poverty: 6

Infrastructure gap: Transportation

18 of 22 fellows (82%) cited limited transport as a major barrier — the single most reported challenge.

"I face difficulties in coming from home. Most of the villages are remotely located without pucca roads. Even some villages are on a hillock."

— Sarita Kumari, Secretary

Dual burden: Work + care

15 fellows mentioned managing domestic / care responsibilities alongside FPO work as a key challenge.

"Earlier, I used to prioritise family responsibilities. Now, I am planning to give equal importance to my duties towards the FPC."

— Sanju Tudu, Secretary

Challenges by role

Challenges mapped by role: Chairperson, Secretary, BOD, Treasurer

Leadership journey framework

How the fellowship shaped leadership growth across four dimensions

Fellowship intervention flow

1
Classroom sessions Months 1–2
Governance & compliance, 5Ps of business, financial management, communication, self-development, work-life balance
2
Exposure visit — SEWA Bank, Ahmedabad Month 2
Live BOD meeting at LSSM, all-women SEWA Bank tour, Gandhi Ashram, Ayurvedic medicine store — 13 fellows cite this as transformative
3
Activity-based sessions Throughout
Role plays, Chak De! video, storytelling (Radha-Padonati, Seeta-Geeta), games (Chaturbhuj), eagle and hawk story
4
Kaizen & assessment Endline
Endline assessments measuring skill gains, business plan presentations with data, peer review
5
Ongoing mentoring Continuous
WhatsApp group, PRADAN field support, peer learning circles, handholding for new leaders

Leadership archetype distribution

Emerging leaders: 8, Established leaders: 9, Technical/expert leaders: 5
Based on trainer assessments and documented experience levels:
Established 5+ years experience, articulate, community-accepted (Asha, Binu, Marry, Rani, Karuna, Didimuni…)
Emerging 1–3 years, require handholding, strong motivation (Alpana D, Alpana M, Beronica, Bindu…)
Technical CRP / trainer background, deep domain expertise (Pano, Didimuni, Rita, Nirmala)

Before and after: observed shifts across the cohort

DimensionBefore fellowshipAfter fellowship% mentioning shift
Presentation skillsUnable to speak with data; hesitantUses facts, figures, business targets
77%
Governance knowledgeUnclear on BOD roles & CEO responsibilitiesClear on roles, accountability, meeting protocols
86%
Business mindsetOperated without profit/loss awarenessUnderstands 5Ps, reinvestment, pricing strategy
68%
Work-life balanceDomestic role prioritised; FPO secondaryConscious time management for both spheres
41%
Collective strengthRelied on individual effortUnderstands network effects, sisterhood value
55%
Second-line leadershipLeadership seen as individual roleActively plans to build leadership cadres
59%

Fellow profiles

Click any card for a detailed view. Filter by role below.

SEWA Conference Visualisations — Women Cooperatives 2025
SEWA Cooperative Federation × VAMNICOM · June 9–10, 2025 · Pune

Women Cooperatives: Building a Resilient and Equitable Future

National Conference Workshop Report — Interactive Session Visualisations
Plenary 1
Bridging the Formal–Informal Divide
Enabling Women's Collectives to Thrive · Moderator: Arti Ahuja
INFORMAL WORKERS cooperative pathway FORMAL Childcare Co-op Sangini Model, Gujarat Franchised care workers Farmer Producer Org Torpa FPO, Jharkhand 400+ women farmers Incubation Gap 5–7 yrs to sustain vs. 3yr grants only ILO Rec. No. 193 Enabling environment Decent work roadmap Only 3% of India's 8.5 lakh cooperatives are women-led
Gender-disaggregated data Simplify compliance Community-lens growth Apex body mentorship Just transitions
Plenary 2
Women in Leadership: Strengthening Governance & Representation
Moderator: Madhu Khetan, PRADAN
Community awareness & youth aspiration-building Capacity-building: financial literacy, digital, HR, health Board representation & active governance Vision-building & leadership training Role models Entry Skills Board Vision Lead Grassroots women Training programs Elected members Yuva sakhis Champions SABIP: 64 of 122 incubated startups are women-led
Fellowship programmes Reservations in apex bodies School-age leadership training Gender parity in performance frameworks Immersive, community-based programs
Plenary 3
Supporting Access to Finance
Unlocking Capital for Growth & Sustainability · Moderator: Dr. Seema Singh Rawat, IRMA
Women's Cooperative needs capital No collateral access Banks won't lend without assets Credit bureau gap Smaller co-ops excluded MFI competition Fast loans, fewer safeguards Fragmented schemes Different portals & windows Credit bureau access For smaller cooperatives Life-cycle loans Smaller ticket sizes for women PMFME + NCDC Subsidies up to ₹10 lakh Housing in women's names Asset creation pathway ← BARRIERS SOLUTIONS →
₹10L
PMFME subsidy per unit
5–7 yr
to financial sustainability
87%
VimoSEWA members pay premiums digitally
Breakout 1
Strengthening Market Linkages
Expanding Access to Trade & Government Procurement · Moderator: Mohit Dave
Women's Co-op Market access Govt retail outlets Triveni stores, NCUI Haat Digital platforms GeM, ONDC, state apps Federation linkages NAFED, NCOL, NCS Regenerative inputs Super compost, pulse mills Public tendering Simplified deposits & process Business diversification Floriculture, avocado, dragon fruit
Cap agricultural loan interest rates Include service co-ops in market schemes Replicate state-level NCUI Haats Join NCUI for stronger networking Sector-specific working capital pools
Breakout 2
Building Resilience: Climate Adaptation for Cooperatives
Moderator: Dr. Indu Murthy, CSTEP Bangalore
Anticipatory capacity
  • Emergency planning & climate forecasting
  • Agrotechnology with community input
  • Insurance access & risk awareness
Absorptive capacity
  • Diverse livelihoods & alternative incomes
  • Collective economic support in crises
  • Storage & seasonal income planning
Adaptive capacity
  • Organic farming & drip irrigation
  • Local knowledge systems for resilience
  • 'One District One Product' leverage
Transformative capacity
  • Women in Gram Sabha elections
  • Village commons management
  • Food security over cash crops
6×
increase in gender-based violence for every 1°C rise in temperature — women cooperatives provide critical social support networks against this
Breakout 3
Vision for Cooperative Education & Youth Participation
Moderator: Dr. C Shambu Prasad, IRMA
Co-op Education ecosystem
Narrative shift
Show cooperatives as aspirational, successful community businesses — not charity
Academia links
PhD programmes, IRMA & VAMNICOM faculty exchange, case studies beyond AMUL
Youth immersion
Place young women early in cooperatives; tie-up with schools & colleges
Skills training
Business, compliance, data analysis, financial management, partnerships
Startup bridges
Engage private sector for fund flows, innovation & emerging trade skills
Coop Edu Fund
Central Government fund for training, research, awareness & professionalisation
Reservations for youth in coop boards Mentorship post-training Refresher & experiential learning Joint youth-senior working groups
Breakout 4
Investing in Digitalisation of Cooperatives
Moderator: Susan Thomas, SEWA Social Security
Basic access UPI, internet local language Digital tools Filing, accounting HR management Video for training Digital finance 87% VimoSEWA members pay online Bank service pts via coop leaders Digital markets GeM & ONDC Social media sales Podcasts & video Platform co-ops Data-driven decisions Blockchain & advanced infra Smart contract group loans Tamper-proof credit histories Digital health passports DigiLocker integration Digital maturity ↑
Co-create digital systems with women's co-ops Better internet penetration Local language apps Community feedback loops Inclusive design for disabled & elderly
SEWA Cooperative Federation · National Conference on Women's Cooperatives, June 2025 · Pune, Maharashtra
International Year of Cooperatives 2025 — Cooperatives Build a Better World