Collections & Partners
Identify priority collections and potential preservation partners across institutions and private archives.
Creating the digital foundation for magical knowledge
Pinakes is building a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving the digital magic corpus, developing ethical AI models for the magical arts, and creating an open knowledge commons that respects both innovation and tradition.
Research Areas
Digital Corpus
Building a comprehensive digital archive of magical knowledge with proper rights management and contributor consent.
AI Development
Creating ethical AI models trained on the magic corpus with transparent attribution and royalty systems.
Rights & Ethics
Developing licensing frameworks that respect secrecy, authorship, and fair compensation for contributors.
Community Governance
Forming a Founding Council of magicians, scholars, technologists, and rights‑holders.
What is Pinakes?
A pre‑launch initiative toward a permanent foundation
Pinakes (from the ancient library catalogs of Alexandria) is a modern effort to create a durable, ethical infrastructure for the magic arts. In this research phase we're aligning stakeholders, validating governance, and defining a roadmap for a public launch.
Our Mission Areas
- Digital Preservation: Comprehensive digitization of magical texts, videos, and ephemera with metadata standards and long-term archival strategies.
- AI & Machine Learning: Ethical development of AI models for the magical arts, with consent-based training and transparent governance.
- Contributor Rights: Fair compensation models including royalty sharing for contributors whose work trains AI systems.
- Open Knowledge Commons: Creating accessible resources while respecting intellectual property, secrets, and the economic interests of creators.
- Community Governance: Founding Council oversight ensuring development aligns with community values and ethical standards.
Ethical AI for the Magical Arts
Building responsible AI systems grounded in the magic corpus
The Pinakes Foundation is pioneering the development of AI models specifically trained on the magical arts corpus. Our approach prioritizes ethical considerations, creator rights, and the preservation of magical traditions while enabling innovation.
Our AI Principles
- Consent-Based Training: AI models trained only on content with explicit contributor consent through our Contributor License Agreement (CLA).
- Attribution & Royalties: Transparent attribution systems and royalty models that compensate creators for their contributions to the training corpus.
- Respect for Secrecy: AI systems designed to honor the tradition of magical secrets and proprietary methods, with tiered access controls.
- Open Research: Publishing our methodologies, governance frameworks, and ethical guidelines for community review and improvement.
- Community Governance: Founding Council oversight ensures AI development aligns with community values and ethical standards.
Current Research Focus
Metadata & Standards
Design a practical schema for the magic domain; test mappings to library standards.
Ethics & Licensing
Draft models that protect creators and enable responsible scholarship and learning.
Technology Prototypes
Evaluate catalog, access controls, and discovery UX with small, representative datasets.
Transparency & Governance
Community-led development with open processes
Founding Council
Diverse leadership representing magicians, scholars, collectors, and technologists guiding strategic direction and ensuring ethical AI development.
Open Documentation
Public access to governance charters, ethical frameworks, and contributor agreements for community review and feedback.
Fair Compensation
Transparent royalty models ensuring contributors benefit from AI systems trained on their work, with clear attribution.
Contributor License Agreement
Clear terms protecting creator rights while enabling ethical AI training, with opt-in consent and usage tracking.
Ethical Oversight
Regular audits and community input on AI development practices, data usage, and adherence to ethical principles.
Open Source Commitment
Publishing methodologies, governance frameworks, and technical approaches to advance the field responsibly.
Participate
Join our diverse community of advisors, contributors, and partners
We're building a foundation that serves the entire magical arts community. Whether you're a performer, collector, researcher, technologist, or legal expert, there's a place for you in shaping this initiative.
Who We're Looking For
Magicians & Creators
Share needs and ethical guardrails for preserving and teaching magic
Content Contributors
Contribute your work under our fair royalty model and CLA
AI Researchers & Technologists
Develop ethical AI systems and digital preservation infrastructure
Collectors & Archivists
Map holdings and guide digitization of rare materials
Scholars & Educators
Shape research access and educational applications
Legal & Ethics Experts
Advise on IP, licensing, AI ethics, and governance
Contact
Foundation Formation
The Pinakes Foundation is currently in formation under the direction of:
Thomas Koetter
Kornstr. 31a
86391 Stadtbergen
Germany