The hub for AI innovation in the progressive movement.

Our mission

The Progressive AI Lab exists to foster innovation, elevate research, and coordinate strategic priorities and best practices in the realm of AI for politics. We serve as the hub for AI innovation within the Democratic and progressive landscape, helping campaigns, organizers, advocacy organizations, funders, and technologists adopt AI in ways that are practical, responsible, and effective.

The premise is simple and urgent. The movements that adopt these tools well in the next 12–18 months will build advantages that compound into 2028 and beyond. Our job is to close the gap between what AI can do for the progressive movement and how quickly the movement can put it to work.

Our history

The Progressive AI Lab began at Higher Ground Labs, the leading early-stage investor in progressive political technology. There, the Lab awarded 14 incubation grants to organizations and individuals innovating with generative AI, and it built the first version of the AI resource guide for campaign staff, advocacy organizations, funders, and tech volunteers.

In January 2025, the work moved to the Higher Ground Institute, a new hub from Cooperative Impact Lab and Higher Ground Labs for progressive tech innovation, adoption, and experimentation. The Progressive AI Lab is now the Institute's flagship AI program.

What we've built

The Lab has built durable infrastructure the movement relies on, and it keeps the focus on programs and resources that practitioners can use right away:

• AI Campaign Stack: a community-powered directory of vetted AI tools and workflows for organizers and organizations.
• AI Open Mics: monthly convenings where practitioners bring real needs and get help from peers.
• Claude Code Study Halls and Salons: hands-on sessions and small-group discussions that turn interest in AI into working capability.
• Media Innovation Fellows: a fellowship backing builders at the intersection of media, technology, and organizing.
• An AI Resource Guide: a living library of trainings, guides, policy templates, and case studies for progressive AI adoption.

Reports and research

The Progressive AI Lab publishes research and reflections on how the progressive movement can adopt AI responsibly. The Higher Ground Labs era of the Lab produced several materials that remain available, including:

• 2024 Progressive AI Lab Report: the year-one review of funding, training, and research.
• Progressive AI Lab Grant Recipients: the innovators supported through the incubation grant program.
• AI Research hub: ongoing findings and strategic insights on AI in politics.

Who we are

The Progressive AI Lab is a program of the Higher Ground Institute, a joint initiative of Cooperative Impact Lab and Higher Ground Labs. Together, these organizations bring deep roots in progressive campaigns, organizing, and political technology, and a shared commitment to helping the movement meet the moment on AI.