z-logo
News

Our mission, Our AI

calendarJun 20, 2024 |clock6 Mins Read

As a mission driven digital research library, Zendy is committed to helping reduce inequality in access to academic literature for audiences worldwide.

By working closely in partnership with publishers and data providers to create an affordable and accessible route to quality, peer reviewed content, we aim to even the playing field of global research, enabling students and researchers from underserved markets to participate in the global academic and policy dialogue and to contribute to identifying solutions to our planet’s major challenges.

We believe that AI has an important role to play in fostering a fairer research and publishing ecosystem. By leveraging AI, we can offer a range of innovative solutions to facilitate access to content and to make the search journey quicker and more efficient, thereby supporting researchers’ needs irrespective of funding or location.

Whilst AI has the potential to transform research and education, Zendy acknowledges that it also raises ethical concerns around issues such as bias, privacy, and accountability. In response to these concerns and to the growing discussion around AI, we have formulated a list of AI imperatives to guide Zendy’s strategy for the development and integration of AI technologies into our products.


Zendy’s AI Imperatives:

  1. AI in service of a better world

In line with our mission to reduce inequality in research and publishing, we believe AI can help to positively impact society by facilitating access to and use of academic content. Our portfolio of AI solutions and our ongoing development work reflects this ethos, with a focus on solutions designed to support our users in their search for quality, reliable data. As a signatory to the UN’s Global Publishing Compact, and working hand in hand with our partners, we aim to offer a more enriched, personalised learning and discovery environment for all users globally, with AI very much in service of a better world.

  1. Openness, trust and transparency

We explain our use of AI tools, defining them in terms of their abilities and limitations. We clarify how they fit in to our platform’s ecosystem and how users can make the most of them. If the tool makes use of partner copyrighted data, as per licensed agreements, we put in place limitations and clear safeguards on that use. We recognise the need for openness, trust and transparency across all our activities, and we are open to feedback from all of our stakeholders.

  1. Personal privacy and data governance

Zendy is a committed advocate of personal privacy. As we continue to develop new solutions and acquire larger data sets, we safeguard the personal information which is shared with us through security policies and procedures to secure our systems. We also ensure that data is collected, reproduced, and protected in a compliant and appropriate manner in accordance with applicable privacy laws and regulations.

  1. Equity and unfair bias

Fairness and equity are at the heart of our mission to help create a better world. As we develop and implement new AI tools and solutions, we put in place procedures to ensure reliability, and carry out extensive review. We recognise that biases and hallucinations present challenges in machine learning models, similar to their presence in human cognition. Completely eliminating these issues may compromise the reasoning abilities of our models. Therefore, to minimise these challenges, we have implemented state-of-the-art techniques derived from recent research. These include prevention
and mitigation mechanisms like “chain-of-verification” and “counterfactual reasoning”, which are integrated into our models.

  1. Human oversight and accountability

We believe human oversight is key to the successful development and deployment of a useful and reliable AI-powered solution. We maintain human oversight of the development of our AI tools and their output from design to deployment to ensure reliability and quality. We routinely conduct evaluation benchmarks on our models to
assess their tendency to reproduce falsehoods and biases, as well as to measure their accuracy. This ongoing evaluation process enables us to continually enhance and refine our models.

You might also like
We Are Speaking at the Charleston Conference 2024
Nov 5, 20243 Mins ReadNews

We Are Speaking at the Charleston Conference 2024

We are excited to announce our participation in this year’s Charleston Conference, where we will address critical issues in the academic world: accessibility and affordability in research. In our session, “New Perspectives: Exploring Hybrid Access Alternatives to Promote Accessibility and Affordability in the Global South,” Zendy’s Co-founder, Kamran Kardan, advisor and retired distinguished librarian emeritus David Hirsch, and Zendy’s Partnership Relations Manager, Sara Crowley Vigneau, will discuss the current barriers to accessibility and affordability and latest models that combine open access and paywalled resources for more inclusive knowledge access in the global south. Join Our Session "New Perspectives: Exploring Hybrid Access Alternatives" Wednesday, November 13 | 4:00 PM | Cypress Ballroom South, Courtyard Marriott What is Charleston Conference: The Charleston Conference is an annual event focused on issues in scholarly communication, academic publishing, and library management. It brings together librarians, publishers, vendors, and research professionals to discuss developments, trends, and challenges in the fields of libraries, publishing, and knowledge access. The theme for this year’s conference is “The Sky’s The Limit!” If you’re attending the Charleston Conference, we’d love to connect! Email hello@zendy.io to book a meeting, and let’s discuss how we can create a world with greater accessibility together.

We Are Speaking and Sponsoring the Forum for Open Research in MENA
Oct 19, 20243 Mins ReadNews

We Are Speaking and Sponsoring the Forum for Open Research in MENA

Doha, Qatar - October 2024, We are a silver sponsor at the 3rd annual event Forum for Open Research in MENA 2024 (FORM), held from October 21 to 23. This year’s conference theme is: Transforming Knowledge Into Action, The forum will take place in Doha, Qatar and is hosted in collaboration with Qatar National Library and Knowledge E Foundation. FORM is a non-profit member of the Open Science organisation, acting as a spark for positive change towards more accessible, inclusive, and sustainable research and education models in the Arab region. The aim is to help libraries, universities, research councils, and policymakers collaborate on projects and resources that support open research. As a result, they can better meet the needs of local research communities. FORM focuses on guiding these groups by sharing the latest insights and practical solutions toward a more 'open' world and encouraging collaboration across different regions. About Zendy Zendy is an AI-powered library established in 2019 to enhance accessibility and discoverability for researchers, students, teachers, and professors. Over 636,000 users worldwide utilise our in-house AI tools in their pursuit of knowledge and the latest findings. About F.O.R.M 2024 The highly anticipated 3rd annual event, F.O.R.M. This October, will present panel sessions on research development in the Arab world and valuable case studies, in addition to a series of workshops led by experts to "Transform Knowledge Into Action" To register for online or in-person attendance, please visit https://forumforopenresearch.com/

Zendy and UNESCO Sign Partnership Agreement to Amplify Global Report Impact
Oct 18, 20245 Mins ReadNews

Zendy and UNESCO Sign Partnership Agreement to Amplify Global Report Impact

Pictured (left to right) are Laura Frank, UNESCO; Cristina Puerta, Editorial Specialist UNESCO; and Sara Crowley Vigneau, Partnership Relations Manager Zendy. Dubai, UAE – October, 2024 – Zendy, the AI-powered research library, and UNESCO have signed a partnership agreement to increase the impact and discoverability of UNESCO's flagship global reports and other publications. This collaboration will make UNESCO’s critical resources available to a broader audience, especially in the global south and underserved regions. With over 700,000 users in 191 countries and territories, Zendy has become a trusted resource for researchers, students, and knowledge seekers worldwide. By integrating UNESCO's publications into its platform, Zendy is furthering its mission to ensure that key scholarly and policy resources reach those who need them most. This agreement with UNESCO complements Zendy’s ongoing efforts to reduce barriers to accessibility and promote educational equity. UNESCO’s publications include flagship global reports on the state of education, water resources, scientific advancement and research, and cultural industries; monographs and technical reports that provide specialists with expert knowledge drawn from UNESCO’s fields of competence; and unprecedented regional history series projects. These publications are an important means of maintaining, advancing and sharing knowledge, which will now be more discoverable to researchers, educators, and policymakers around the world. “Partnering with UNESCO is a pivotal step towards our mission of reducing inequalities in access to knowledge,” said Zendy Co-founder Kamran Kardan. “This collaboration reinforces our shared commitment to increasing the accessibility of essential information, empowering communities that have long been excluded from the global flow of ideas and research. Together, we aim to create a more inclusive knowledge ecosystem where everyone has the opportunity to learn, contribute, and thrive.” UNESCO’s resources will now be available to Zendy’s growing user base, supporting informed decision-making and research endeavors across diverse fields. Translated into over 70 languages, UNESCO’s publications illustrate the Organization's mission to promote multilingualism, essential factor in harmonious communication among peoples. This partnership aligns with UNESCO’s vision of fostering inclusive knowledge societies and supporting the free flow of ideas, ultimately driving forward the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For more information, please contact:Monica ChinsamiHead of MarketingEmail: m.chinsami@zendy.io About ZendyZendy is an AI-powered, mission-driven library dedicated to increasing the accessibility and discoverability of scholarly literature, particularly in the global south and underserved regions. The platform currently serves over 700,000 users across 191 countries and territories, offering a comprehensive collection of academic journals, articles, and reports to empower researchers, educators, and students around the world. About UNESCOWith 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2,300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2,000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13,000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.