Tethics & Chill [online]: Tech, Truth, and Trust in an Internet That Serves People w/ Mozilla's Nabiha Syed

​For Nabiha Syed, the internet’s promise was never just about connectivity — it was always about agency: the ability for people to create, share, and shape their own worlds without gatekeepers. As CEO of The Markup, she led hard-hitting investigations into how Big Tech secretly harvests and weaponizes data. Now, as Executive Director of the Mozilla Foundation, she’s building the movement for trustworthy AI — systems that are transparent, accountable, and aligned with human values rather than corporate bottom lines.

​Beyond just diagnosing what’s broken, Nabiha actively works on the infrastructure to fix it. At Mozilla, she’s championing open-source AI initiatives like Mozilla.ai, launched with a $30M commitment to develop human-aligned AI; acquired tools like Fakespot to help people cut through manipulation and misinformation; and expanded funding for open datasets, transparency research, and ethical technologists worldwide. Her approach combines policy influence, public education, and product innovation to shift the balance of power from extractive platforms back to the people they serve.

​In this Tethics & Chill session, Nabiha will explore what it really takes to reclaim control in a machine-mediated world — from dismantling the hidden incentives that distort our information environment to designing systems that center truth, trust, and user agency. You’ll leave with practical ideas for building technology that keeps humans in the driver’s seat.