Philly JS - The Ecology of an AI Agent: Building AI Harnesses for a Future Worth Sharing

​Presented by Sarah Peony

AI doesn’t exist in the cloud. It exists in physical infrastructure, natural resources, human labor, and communities that bear its costs. In this talk, I will explore how ecological responsibility, fairness, and community accountability shape the way I build my AI agent harness, from model selection and resource consumption to consent and human oversight.

​Using my community documentary platform and the impact of gentrification in West Philadelphia as examples, we’ll examine how developers can build tools with communities rather than simply for them, without reproducing the extractive systems we’re trying to challenge. Because responsible AI isn’t just about better code. It’s about collective action, shared power, and building a future worth sharing.

​Attendees will leave with practical strategies for building more resource-conscious, consent-aware AI harnesses in JavaScript, along with a framework for evaluating who benefits from their tools, who bears their costs, and how to involve communities in shaping the technology and futures we build together.

​Philly JS is possible thanks to support from: AWeber, Liberty Jobs, and Indy Hall.

​​Typical Meetup Schedule

• ​6:00pm - Doors Open + Socializing

• ​6:30pm - Welcome + Talk

• ​7:00pm - Q&A + Discussion

• ​7:30pm - Socializing/Networking

• ​8:00pm - Continue the conversation at a nearby restaurant/bar, or say goodnight!

​Check our website for past talks and topics, and message us if you'd like to give a talk!

​​About Philly Javascript Club

​Philly's monthly meetup for Javascript developers! Professionals and hobbyists, beginners and experts, all are welcome and encouraged to participate.

​Each monthly meetup features a different ~30 minute talk from a community member. Some are focused on the techniques and tools we're using in our work, others are more creative and exploratory.

​If there's something you want to learn about, or share, you're in the right place!

​​About AWeber

​AWeber offers simple, powerful tools for growing an email newsletter & automating your digital marketing, geared towards small businesses, entrepreneurs and creators of all kinds.

​And while their team is fully remote, the company was founded in nearby suburbs of Philadelphia!

​Special thanks to AWeber, including Chris and other Philadelphia-based team members, for supporting our vision of connection the local ecosystem of builders & creators. 🙏