Celebrating Human Creativity in the Age of AI
23 First empowers humans to choose human. We are not anti AI; we are pro human.
Our Mission
Part of what defines us as humans is our social interaction with other humans and our appreciation of the creativity of our fellow humans. However, when AI masquerades as human, we are denied our right to make an informed choice.
23 First was founded to preserve and celebrate human creativity. The number 23 in our name comes from the 23 chromosome pairs in human cells - distinctly human, uniquely us.
Pro Human
Celebrating human creativity and choice
Empowering Choice
Giving humans the information they need
Our Initiatives
ProudlyHuman™ Certification
A trusted certification mark that identifies creative products made by real humans. When you see the ProudlyHuman™ mark, you know the content was created by human artists, authors, and creators.
- Certifies books, music, videos, and more
- Strict registration and audit procedures
- Easy verification for consumers
Every Year
Proudly Human Day
An annual celebration on 23 February (23 chromosome pairs = human!) where people commit to choosing human-created content and celebrating their own creativity.
- Choose human-created music, books, or art
- Make a year-long creativity resolution
- Join a global movement
Why 23?
Human beings are distinguished among mammals by having 23 pairs of chromosomes. This number is distinctly human - cats have 19 pairs, dogs have 39. The name 23 First captures our mission to prioritize human creativity and choice in the age of AI.
About 23 First
Our founding purpose is to create, promote, and administer the ProudlyHuman™ certification mark and Proudly Human Day. We believe that humans have the right to be informed so they can make choices between AI-originated and human-originated creative works.
23 First is registered in the United States and Australia, operating as a purpose-driven organization dedicated to celebrating human creativity.
Dr. Alan Finkel AC
Founder
23 First was founded by Dr. Alan Finkel AC in August 2025. Alan is the former Chief Scientist of Australia, Chancellor of Monash University, and founder of successful biotech and edtech companies, Axon Instruments and Stile Education.
Trevor Woods
Founding CEO
Trevor was a senior executive at top-50 and top-100 global universities in Australia and Canada where his responsibilities included technology and digital. He drove innovation and led large teams in global operations exceeding $3.5 billion. Trevor has led, participated in, and supported research projects; taught; and is a respected conference and event presenter.