Shownotes:

In this fourth episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort has a conversation with Angie Abdilla, founder and CEO of Old Ways, New. We talk about the work of bringing indigenous wisdom into artificial intelligence.

ABOUT ANGIE and OLD WAYS, NEW

As a writer, director, and producer in the film industry for 15 years, Angie Abdilla saw a significant shift in the way that storytelling was changing. She became fascinated with how technology could be so powerful—so powerful that various industries and sectors were cropping up because of it.  

Pattern thinking, from an indigenous perspective, is a way of understanding the interrelationship and interconnection of things in the world. Angie, together with a roboticist, wrote a research paper that explored the concept of pattern thinking and pattern recognition in the context of robotics and new emerging technologies, particularly AI. This research paper was presented to the UN, and Old Ways, New came from that point—sitting with indigenous elders and leaders taking about how pattern thinking can form technology to be more socially and environmentally sustainable.

BIG IDEA 1

It has always been about exploring and implementing ways for us to use our indigenous knowledges and knowledge systems to inform new emerging technologies.  (11:40)

There’s an inherent belief that the indigenous community has this knowledge that is embedded within them, and that they have the capacity to lead the technology revolution and to have indigenous autonomy. It’s about creating spaces and opportunities for leadership—for their old ways to be respected and regarded, and for these old ways to form better solutions, better strategic designs, and technology solutions and outcomes.

BIG IDEA 2

We are not interested in growth like other companies are. We are interested in sustainability. (19:18)

The mandate of Old Ways, New is clear. The company is not interested in sustainability in the Western sense, but from a very different perspective. From an indigenous perspective, it is the inherent interconnection of both social and environmental sustainability. This belief extends into how the company runs, in every decision made. If the relationships aren’t there, or aren’t strong in the first place, then nothing moves. Ultimately, it always comes back to relationships.

BIG IDEA 3

We can’t fit neatly in a box. (20:25)

Angie and the team at Old Ways, New like to communicate that straight up front: “We don't fit in boxes.” (20:25) The company has a very different way of working. What they do is work with you, they bring you along the process to enable a really great outcome.

To them, it’s a matter of bringing in different people they often engage in with leadership—otherwise, it doesn’t permeate. Typically, they only engage in a context when there’s multiple people in the room so that they can see where there are opportunities for cross-collaboration. They try to keep things simple, and believe that their ways create a whole range of insights and inputs that one would never get from a typical service provider with a formulaic process. That’s why Old Ways, New has some really strong relationships—because people are starting to get it.

There’s nothing altruistic about the company. They do things their way because it is better, and because there’s great benefit for the indigenous community. As Angie says, “It’s not easy, but it’s happening. We are creating those inroads.” (21:56)

Episode Links

You can find Angie Abdilla and more about Old Ways, New at:

• https://oldwaysnew.com/

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You can connect with us on Facebook at @SocialLightsPodcast and find future episodes at socialmediology.com.au/sociallights.

Thanks for your time and stay inspired,

Kate vanderVoort