From 5605f32527957ac6e792e3d5f3b9cdb8ae0a2619 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Inferencebot Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:01:34 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] Add background.md: one-page mission and history summary; link from README index --- README.md | 1 + background.md | 65 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 66 insertions(+) create mode 100644 background.md diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index a460d9c..6ee8607 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ funded through our [Open Collective](https://opencollective.com/inference-cooper ## Start here - **New here?** → [Getting started](getting-started.md) — join, use the chat, and get involved in governance. +- **Why does this exist?** → [Background](background.md) — a one-page summary of the mission and history. - **Which models can I use?** → [Models](models.md) — the full catalog of providers and models. - **Want API access?** → [API access](api-access.md) — use our models programmatically. - **Want community chat?** → [Getting started · Matrix](getting-started.md) — our federated Matrix server, including how to connect from any client and how to use an existing Matrix account. diff --git a/background.md b/background.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..96c0b5d --- /dev/null +++ b/background.md @@ -0,0 +1,65 @@ +# Background + +A one-page account of why the Inference Cooperative exists and how it got +here. For how to join and use it, see [Getting started](getting-started.md); +for the rules, see the [Charter](charter.md). + +## Mission + +The Inference Cooperative exists to give people a real alternative for AI: a +service owned and directed by the people who use it, rather than rented from +an extractive industry. Members pay dues on a sliding scale and receive +private AI chat and API access through infrastructure the members govern +together. + +Three commitments shape how we build it: + +- **Privacy.** Our "private" models run in trusted execution environments + (hardware-encrypted enclaves) with end-to-end encryption between your device + and the model — the stack is designed so that even the co-op's own operators + cannot read members' conversations. +- **Sustainability.** Members can choose models that run on 100% renewable + energy, from providers with public environmental commitments. We self-host + our own infrastructure, so every efficiency gain is ours to make. +- **Self-governance.** Decisions are made by members through + [policy governance](charter.md), on our [forum](https://forum.inference.coop/), + using free, self-hosted tools wherever possible. + +We are a small cooperative by design, fiscally sponsored by the nonprofit +[Metagov](https://metagov.org) and funded through member dues on +[Open Collective](https://opencollective.com/inference-cooperative). +Membership starts at $5/month (suggested $15), which covers a $15 monthly +usage allowance. The service costs what members put in, and no investor takes +a cut. + +## How we got here + +The cooperative launched in 2026, growing out of research on democratic +digital infrastructure at the Media Economies Design Lab (MEDLab) at the +University of Colorado Boulder. It began with a single privacy-first provider +— Tinfoil, whose models run in encrypted enclaves — and a deliberately small +toolset: a chat, an API gateway, and the basics for membership and payments. + +From there it grew the way co-ops do: in response to what members asked for. +A model picker grouped providers by what they stand for — **private** +(encrypted enclaves) and **green** (renewable-powered: GreenPT and Regolo, +the latter with a written zero-data-retention policy). A member dashboard +made usage and spending transparent. A federated +[Matrix](https://matrix.inference.coop) server, a +[forum](https://forum.inference.coop), and a newsletter gave members places to +talk to each other and to the project. The chat migrated to LibreChat, and the +code that runs the member-facing services was opened up in public +repositories. + +In October 2026, members adopted the co-op's first +[charter](charter.md) — a democratic constitution setting out values, roles, +and decision-making, with a commitment to redesign governance as the +community grows past 250 members. + +## Where we're going + +The near-term road: more model choices with strong privacy and environmental +records, infrastructure hosted with values-aligned providers, and the +working-group structure the charter describes. The longer arc: proving that +people can govern their AI the way they govern a credit union or a land trust +— and sharing what we learn with the co-ops that come after us.