How the Collaborative Works

A capacity-building model that builds trustworthy AI once and shares it many times — so every member can serve their community without starting from scratch.

The “Process+” Approach

Rather than starting with technology, the Collaborative starts with people. We identify the real gaps communities face first, then recruit the community-rooted partners best positioned to help fill them.

Step 1

Identify gaps

Listen to residents and frontline staff to surface unmet needs and barriers to responsible AI adoption.

Step 2

Recruit community-rooted partners

Bring in trusted organizations with the relationships and expertise to close each identified gap.

Build Once, Share Many Times

The shared portal is the front door. AI models live on the back end, every tool is kept in a shared Tools Repository, and each member deploys what they need onto their own branded dashboard.

1. Need

A community-rooted partner identifies a real need faced by residents or frontline staff.

2. Build

The Collaborative builds a vetted AI tool once, with safeguards and human review baked in.

3. Share

The tool is added to the shared Tools Repository, available to every member organization.

4. Deploy

Each member deploys the tool on their own branded dashboard — their community sees their name, not ours.

Shared Tools Repository

Every vetted tool is kept in one shared repository with clear safeguards and governance approval, so members reuse proven tools instead of rebuilding them.

Browse the AI Services Catalog

Branded Member Dashboards

Each member deploys tools onto a white-labeled dashboard carrying their own name and brand — their community sees a familiar, trusted organization, not the Collaborative behind it.

See the Brilliant Detroit example

Membership Structure

Each tier supports and connects to the next — founding members recruit strategic partners, together they bring in collaboration members, and all of it exists to serve the community.

Founding Members (Anchor Organizations)

Set the vision, coordinate the work, and hold shared governance authority.

  • Center for Augmenting Intelligence in Urban Health (CAI)
  • Michigan Roundtable for Just Communities (MRJC)
  • Brilliant Detroit
  • Global Alliance Solutions Foundation (GASF)
  • Merit Network
  • StudyAI'D

Strategic Partners

Organizations recruited to fill specific gaps and bring specialized expertise the founding members do not have — committing to lead or co-lead a working group.

  • TBD — recruited as gaps are identified

Collaboration Members

Health, community, and technology organizations that adopt shared tools and participate in the network.

  • TBD — recruited as the network grows

Community Served

Detroit residents and frontline staff the entire Collaborative exists to serve.

  • Residents, families, and frontline staff across Detroit

Operating Principles

Community-first

Residents help decide what gets built and how it is used.

Human in the loop

People stay in control of every AI-assisted decision.

Transparency & accountability

A public feedback loop and issue log keep the work honest.

Equity by design

Tools are designed to close gaps, not widen them.

Vendor independence

Shared ownership prevents lock-in to any single vendor.

Sustainability from day one

CAI is built to remain a durable backbone beyond the grant.

Concept demonstration — aligned with the DAIHEC Project Charter