The Open Text and Its Enemies

A Manifesto for Ethical AI Authorship

Reflective Preface

This reflection note is both personal and professional. As a mentor, reviewer, and researcher deeply engaged in environmental issues, climate change, and over the past five years, the intersecting fields of GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion) and technology, I find myself constantly seeking ways to understand complexity more clearly. I use systems thinking as a core approach in all my work. And now, AI has entered that system.

I use AI not to replace human reasoning, but to test ideas, challenge assumptions, and deepen inquiry. I ask questions, refine arguments, and reflect on responses—not all convincing, but always revealing. This mirrors the kind of dialogue I also pursue with my students and colleagues. In this way, AI becomes a mirror, not a master.

I remember when Google, Wikipedia, and other digital tools first emerged in 1998. There was the same tension—shock, excitement, resistance. We didn’t know then how deeply it would transform our ways of thinking, teaching, and researching. Now, we stand at a similar threshold. Regardless of the value extraction associated with digital technologies, one clear benefit is their ability to make data, information, and knowledge widely accessible—enabling broader participation and encouraging critical thinking as multiple sources can be consulted and compared.

This brings me to a question I now revisit often: What is authenticity in the age of intelligent tools? What makes an idea ‘mine’? And how do I ensure that my work, while assisted by digital tools, is still ethically grounded and intellectually accountable?

This manifesto grows out of those questions. It is the product of both critical conversations—with peers, with machines, and with myself. And it is dedicated to everyone navigating this new territory with curiosity, courage, and care. First, we need to see that the advancement of technology—such as AI—is not merely a tool of efficiency, but a profound opportunity to enrich social life. It can facilitate dynamic interaction across all domains: economy, politics, arts, culture, and the wisdom of commons. It must serve people, not turn society into a commodity.

Second, we also need to define, with honesty and clarity, how our contributions support the greater good. This includes establishing systems of societal recognition and incentives for those who dedicate themselves to building ethical, inclusive, and knowledge-based communities.

Key Takeaways: The Open Text and Its Enemies

• Authorship in the AI era must be grounded in conscience, not control.

• Disclosure, not detection, is the ethical foundation of responsible writing.

• The Inclusive District Platform (IDP) shows how open data and AI can be used ethically for urban participation and digital accessibility.

• BBC76 Community on arts and sciences for everyone as a showcase in empowering youth not only with digital skills but with civic imagination and ethical agency.

• We must defend the open text as a civic space—one that welcomes diverse voices, encourages transparency, and reflects collective responsibility.

Where Does Open Text Culture Come From?

I use the phrase “open text culture” to describe a synthesis of intellectual traditions that value civic responsibility, interpretive openness, and ethical authorship—especially in response to the evolving role of AI. The proposed concept does not emerge in isolation. It is rooted in multiple intellectual traditions that value freedom, dialogue, and shared authorship. While Karl Popper’s idea of an open society provides the civic foundation, this notion is echoed—and expanded—across philosophy, pedagogy, digital scholarship, and Indigenous knowledge systems.

I ground my own ethical use of AI in these references.

Umberto Eco’s theory¹ of the open work suggests that texts can be designed for interpretive openness—inviting readers to co-create meaning rather than passively receive a fixed message. Paulo Freire’s² Pedagogy of the Oppressed treats learners as co-authors of knowledge, emphasizing dialogue over transmission. These models share a belief that ethical learning—and ethical authorship—are inherently participatory.

In the digital age, figures like Kathleen Fitzpatrick³ and Lawrence Lessig⁴ have championed open scholarship and creative commons thinking. They argue that open culture requires generosity, transparency, and new models of authorship beyond copyright. Meanwhile, Indigenous and decolonial scholars remind us that knowledge is often collective, oral, and grounded in relational ethics—challenging Western norms of ownership and citation.

This convergence points to a deeper insight: Open text culture is not simply a response to AI. It is a continuation of long-standing struggles to democratize knowledge, protect pluralism, and affirm the dignity of authorship as a shared civic responsibility.

The Illusion of Detection

AI detectors promise to distinguish human from machine, but they fail to see what matters most: intent, agency, and context. They confuse formality with fakery. They flag non-native writers. They misread originality as automation. They reward mediocrity over clarity, and conformity over voice. This is not integrity—it is the illusion of integrity, automation dressed in the language of accountability.

True authorship demands ownership—not of tools, but of thought. When a writer transparently states: 'I used AI to refine grammar, but the ideas are mine,' they reveal what no algorithm can detect—conscience. Disclosure affirms authorship. It respects the reader. It makes ethics visible.

But this responsibility does not exist in a vacuum—it is shaped by how we define and defend authorship in public life.

In this new age, authorship is not a possession—it is a practice. To write is to take responsibility. To create is to stand behind your choices, your edits, your arguments. AI may assist, but only humans are accountable. Detection displaces this truth by trying to judge a process it cannot see. Only the author can reveal the process honestly.

Like the open society Popper defended, an open text culture must be based on trust, dialogue, and critique—not surveillance. We must normalize disclosure, not punish AI use. We must encourage transparency, not impose fear. We must treat writing as a space for freedom, not a battlefield of suspicion. The open text is a site of reflection, not regulation.

If we want to preserve intellectual freedom in the AI era, we must defend the open text—together.

Literacy for a Participatory Future: IDP Experience

The Inclusive District Platform (IDP) is more than a multi-stakeholder collaboration—it is a living experiment in ethical authorship, civic engagement, and inclusive urban design. Piloted in three distinct districts—Sumur Bandung (Bandung), Semarang Tengah (Semarang), and Jetis (Yogyakarta)—IDP is pioneering the use of AI tools for participatory urban governance.

Figure 1. The IDP began as a pilot in Sumur Bandung District (green marker) and is expanding to targeted districts across Indonesia (red markers) as resources and momentum build. This evolution illustrates how inclusive design, data, and participation can scale from local to systemic transformation

These tools empower people—regardless of background or expertise—to access validated data, knowledge, scientific insights, and government interventions through intuitive, natural language prompts. The aim is simple yet transformative: to make governance intelligible, transparent, and inclusive for all.

To support this vision, IDP partners with institutions, communities, and knowledge producers to populate its AI platform with verified, open-access data. In doing so, each district becomes a living laboratory—a space where innovation is rooted in ethics, evidence, and real community needs and governance is not a distant function, but a dynamic dialogue informed by real, inclusive knowledge.

In ensuring digital inclusion, IDP aligns with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), striving to make all digital materials usable by persons with disabilities. This includes screen-reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, alt-text for visuals, and simplified language options. True inclusion must include the digital layer.

One of the leading initiatives within IDP is the Civic and Digital Literacy Program, developed by BBC76 Community on arts and sciences for everyone together with Advanced Systems Computing Design and Innovation (ASCODI) Lab. This one-year program combines theory and practice through a rich blend of discussions, field visits, individual reflection, and collaborative case work. Eminent experts and civil society partners are invited to contribute, ensuring diverse voices guide the learning process. The curriculum is structured around seven core pillars:

First, Philosophy, Public Ethics, and Critical Thinking. In a time of information overload and rising polarization, communities need the ability to reason clearly, question deeply, and act ethically. This pillar introduces participants to fundamental questions of justice, truth, fairness, and responsibility—framed through the lens of everyday dilemmas and local values. By grounding learning in public ethics and critical thinking, this module helps people navigate complexity with both logic and empathy. Participants will explore moral scenarios drawn from local life—such as prioritizing aid, handling conflict, or balancing tradition with innovation. They will learn to recognize assumptions, examine worldviews, and discuss issues respectfully across generations. This cultivates not only personal clarity but also a more thoughtful and inclusive civic culture.

Second, System and Design Thinking. Many of the challenges faced in Sumur Bandung—such as waste overflow, flood risks, or uneven services—are not isolated problems, but symptoms of broken systems. This pillar equips participants with tools to see the interconnectedness of issues and to imagine innovative, people-centered solutions. System thinking helps learners see the bigger picture, while design thinking enables them to act with creativity and empathy. Participants will map cause-effect relationships, identify leverage points for change, and prototype simple solutions to real community needs. By working in teams and drawing from lived experience, they begin to see themselves not just as recipients of services, but as co-designers of the future.

Third, Participatory Mapping and Civic Technology. Who decides what matters in a neighborhood? What’s visible, and what’s invisible? This pillar empowers participants to document, visualize, and share the assets and challenges in their environment through participatory mapping. From sketching waste hot spots to mapping safe paths for elders or locating flood-prone areas, learners begin to make data from the ground up. By integrating simple digital tools (e.g., Google My Maps, Maptionnaire) and analog methods (community sketching, field walks), this module builds spatial literacy and civic awareness. It teaches that maps are not neutral—they are tools of advocacy, negotiation, and visibility.

Fourth, AI and Digital Literacy. AI is increasingly shaping everyday life—from mobile apps that recommend content to systems that impact education, credit access, and public safety. Yet most people do not fully understand how AI works, what it can or cannot do, or how it may reinforce bias. This pillar demystifies AI by teaching its basic logic (data, algorithms, training), encouraging ethical reflection, and promoting responsible use. Participants will learn through hands-on exploration—training simple models, questioning automation, and imagining how AI could help their community. The goal is not just technical skill, but digital agency and discernment, especially for those traditionally excluded from tech innovation.

Fifth, Critical Writing and Storytelling. Stories define how we understand ourselves, our neighbors, and our future. Yet many community voices—especially women, youth, PWDs, and elders—are often unheard in mainstream narratives. This pillar builds the ability to craft powerful, purposeful stories grounded in lived experience. It fosters both expressive writing (memoirs, poetry, testimonies) and civic writing (op-eds, reports, petitions). Through writing circles and storytelling workshops, participants explore how stories shape belief, policy, and identity. The act of writing becomes a way of reclaiming voice and shifting public imagination toward justice and dignity.

Sixth, Rhetoric and Public Speaking. The ability to speak clearly and confidently in public is a fundamental civic skill—but often underdeveloped in marginalized groups. This pillar nurtures voice, presence, and the power of spoken word. It draws on traditions of oratory, local storytelling, and debate, while introducing techniques for structuring arguments, using persuasive language, and speaking with authenticity. Whether preparing for a Musrenbang meeting, a school event, or a community discussion, participants will practice standing up, speaking out, and listening with care. Public speaking here is not just about performance—it’s about connection, courage, and leadership.

Seventh, GEDSI, Climate Crisis and Sustainability. Inclusion and sustainability are not optional—they are existential. This final pillar explores the intersection of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) with climate justice and local sustainability efforts. It encourages learners to ask: Who is most affected by climate breakdown? Who is excluded from solutions? What does a just and livable neighborhood look like? Using participatory tools like community audits, story circles, and eco-mapping, participants examine their environment through both a social and ecological lens. They are invited to reflect, act, and advocate for solutions that leave no one behind and protect future generations.

This is more than training—it is a transformation. IDP is cultivating the literacies that citizens need to actively shape the cities they live in. Its true impact lies not only in the solutions it supports, but in the ethical, inclusive culture of knowledge it helps to grow.

It’s a transformation: a movement toward community-led, ethically informed urban co-creation. IDP’s impact lies not only in the solutions it enables, but in the literacies it builds—so that communities can reflect, imagine, and govern with conscience.

Ethical Knowledge and Grassroots Innovation: BBC76 Community Experience

Founded with the spirit of 'arts and science for everyone,' BBC76 Community in arts and sciences for everyone⁵ is a beacon of how grassroots ethics, youth leadership, and open knowledge intersect. It was born from a reality: too many young people are cut off from the conversations and innovations shaping their future.

BBC76 addresses this with an approach that is:

• Decentralized: local hubs, youth-led projects, and open-source materials

• Civic-minded: knowledge is seen as a public good, not a market commodity

• Ethically governed: decision-making is participatory, transparent, and inclusive

Young people in BBC76 are not passive learners—they’re researchers, storytellers, data activists, and facilitators of their own communities’ futures. They build civic maps, craft climate testimonies, explore AI critically, and lead discussions on authorship, rights, and representation.

In an age of automation, BBC76 asks a radical question: Can communities govern their own knowledge? And then it answers—yes, together.

Figure 2. BBC76 Community Exchange of Knowledge and Ideas with Activist

BBC76 is not merely a youth initiative; it is a model for grassroots-driven social transformation. Through a one-year civic and digital literacy program built on seven learning pillars—critical thinking, systems and design thinking, AI literacy, participatory mapping, storytelling, GEDSI awareness, and climate justice—BBC76 equips young people to think ethically and act collectively.

By fostering civic creativity and philosophical inquiry, BBC76 transforms passive learners into agents of social change. It challenges extractive education models and enables youth to engage meaningfully in shaping the public good. It cultivates not only literacy but moral and civic imagination. In partnership with IDP, BBC76 embodies a new kind of civic learning—reflective, participatory, and future-oriented.

Figure 3. BBC76 Community Interaction with scholar activists and students

Intellectual Property in the Age of Open Authorship

In light of AI collaboration, shared authorship, and civic knowledge-making, traditional concepts of intellectual property rights (IPR)⁶ require reevaluation. The classic model of exclusive, individual authorship is misaligned with the community-based, ethically-driven work exemplified by platforms such as IDP and BBC76. In these environments, knowledge is not merely created—it is co-constructed, iterated upon, and rooted in social context.

Rather than control, our emphasis is on care. Rather than exclusion, we center contribution. This work supports an emerging framework for knowledge as a commons—shared, stewarded, and used ethically.

To reflect this, we offer the following declaration:

All knowledge produced within this manifesto and its related programs (IDP, BBC76) is shared under an open contribution model. While individual voices and contributions are acknowledged, the value of this work lies in collective dialogue, ethical reflection, and civic application. Reuse, adaptation, and translation are welcome—with attribution and in alignment with the intent to serve inclusive, ethical, and just knowledge ecosystems.

Final Words: Let Us Defend the Open Text

The danger is not that AI helps us write. The danger is that we forget the values behind the words. Detection is the new dogma—it reduces writing to patterns and paranoia. But authorship—true authorship—is about reflection, ethics, and voice.

An open text culture also resists the erasure of memory. By preserving spaces for critique, transparency, and dialogue, it protects the integrity of history—ensuring that no authority, algorithm, or ideology can rewrite the past unchecked.

Let us reject the false comfort of detection and embrace the courage of disclosure. Let us build a culture of writing that values honesty over assumption, collaboration over control, and community over isolation. The open text is not a threat—it is a civic space.

If we are to preserve intellectual freedom in the AI era, then we must defend the open text—together.

#OpenTextCulture #EthicalAI #AIandAuthorship #WritingWithAI #OpenSociety #CivicLiteracy #DigitalEthics #ResponsibleAuthorship

1. Umberto Eco, The Open Work (1989). A philosophical exploration of texts designed for interpretive openness, where readers are co-creators of meaning.

2. Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970). A foundational work in critical pedagogy, arguing for a dialogical model of education where learners co-create knowledge through reflection and praxis.

3. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Generous Thinking: A Radical Approach to Saving the University (2019). Advocates for open, collaborative scholarship based on generosity, not competition—redefining what counts as academic value.

4. Lawrence Lessig, Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity (2004). A major critique of restrictive copyright systems and a passionate defense of free knowledge and creative commons.

5. BBC76 Community (2025), BBC76 Concept Note

6. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) refer to the legal protections granted to creators and inventors for their original works, inventions, and creative expressions. These rights include copyright, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets—intended to balance innovation incentives with public access (World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 'What is Intellectual Property?', https://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/, accessed on 05/06/2025)