TLDR: Nabiha Syed, Executive Director of the Mozilla Foundation, is spearheading the organization’s efforts to champion trustworthy AI, digital rights, and an open internet. Her vision, articulated a year into her tenure, focuses on navigating the challenges of the AI era by promoting ethical technology development, fostering community participation, and building innovative solutions like a data collective.
San Francisco, CA – August 17, 2025 – A year into her pivotal role, Nabiha Syed, the Executive Director of the Mozilla Foundation, is actively reshaping the organization’s strategic direction, with a pronounced emphasis on fostering trustworthy artificial intelligence and safeguarding the principles of an open internet. Syed, whose appointment was announced in May 2024 and who officially took the helm of the Foundation’s movement-building programs on July 1, 2024, has articulated a clear vision for Mozilla’s future in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
Syed’s leadership comes at a critical juncture, as the internet faces new challenges from the proliferation of ‘AI slop’ and the pervasive nature of ‘surveillance capitalism.’ In an interview, she underscored the necessity of returning to fundamental principles: ‘Why do we care about the open internet, the open web?’ Her response centers on the human experience of technology, emphasizing its potential to unleash creativity and enhance connectedness, a core tenet of Mozilla’s manifesto.
Under her guidance, the Mozilla Foundation is committed to tackling the ethical development and governance of AI technologies. Syed believes AI offers tremendous benefits, such as translation and transcription tools that facilitate communication, but also poses risks of power centralization. The Foundation’s strategy involves focusing on the intersection of these concerns through advocacy, legislation, and creative engagements to empower individuals.
Prior to her role at Mozilla, Syed served as the CEO of The Markup, an acclaimed non-profit dedicated to investigative journalism scrutinizing technology’s societal impact. Her tenure at The Markup was marked by significant achievements, including being referenced by the U.S. Congress 21 times, inspiring numerous class-action lawsuits, and earning prestigious accolades such as a national Murrow Award and a Loeb Award. FastCompany recognized The Markup as ‘Most Innovative’ in 2022 under her leadership. Her extensive background as a media lawyer, with experience at BuzzFeed and the New York Times First Amendment Fellowship, further solidifies her expertise in navigating the intricate legal and ethical dimensions of technology.
Syed’s influence extends beyond Mozilla, as she serves on the boards of prominent organizations including the Scott Trust (owner of The Guardian newspaper), the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, and the New Press. She also advises ex/ante, a venture fund focused on agentic tech, and is a member of The World Economic Forum’s AI Governance Alliance, highlighting her deep engagement with the future of technology and governance. In recognition of her impactful work, Syed was awarded the NAACP/Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award in 2023.
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Looking ahead, Syed revealed plans for an initiative to build a data collective – a marketplace designed to allow owners of rich datasets, such as those on biodiversity, to offer and license their data in a controlled manner. This initiative exemplifies Mozilla’s commitment to fostering responsible innovation and community-driven solutions in the AI era. Her strategic priorities for supercharging trustworthy AI efforts include partnering with other public interest organizations to reshape the AI narrative, creating and funding open-source and community-driven datasets, tools, and research, and cultivating a global community dedicated to building responsible and trustworthy technology.
