Why We Built Nix: Ethics, Care and Community

A note on the heart—and responsibility—behind what we’ve created.

Not Just Another AI Tool

We don’t take the environmental or ethical cost of AI lightly.
Nix isn’t here for novelty use—it’s a purpose-driven resource created to meet an urgent access gap for people who are too often excluded by traditional systems.

We built Nix for the moments when support is needed and nothing else is available.
It’s not a substitute for human connection—but a bridge. A balm. A reminder that you’re not alone.

Environmental Responsibility

Intent doesn’t negate impact. That’s why we’re actively exploring:

  • Ethical partnerships for carbon offsetting

  • Sustainable hosting solutions

  • Ways to reduce Nix’s footprint as it grows

Because care for people includes care for the planet.

Ethical Development, Not Data Extraction

We’re deeply aware of concerns about AI and creative theft.

Nix wasn’t built by scraping the internet. It was shaped from the ground up using:

  • Original stories

  • Affirmations

  • Reflections - All drawn directly from Sandie’s lived experience and shared with consent.

Nix is not computer-generated—it’s community-generated. Built by and for disabled, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ folks.

Hours of Human Work, Centering Inclusion

This wasn’t automated. We poured in:

  • Countless hours of research, writing, testing, and refining

  • Direct feedback from community voices

  • Accessibility practices from the start

Nix is designed to feel emotionally safe, inclusive, and never performative.

Creating a space where people feel seen, not processed—that’s the standard we’ve held ourselves to.

Consent-Led Use & Membership Choice

We understand and respect that some people are not comfortable using AI—and that’s okay.

That’s why:

  • We are going to be offering membership options with and without Nix included

  • You will still be able to access all of the Shine Collective’s community, content and support—no AI required

We’re not here to push AI. We’re here to remove barriers to care in a way that’s:

  • Ethical

  • Flexible

  • Always led by informed choice and consent

In Summary

  • Nix is a tool of compassion—not convenience.

  • A voice shaped by lived experience—not data scraping.

  • A space for care—not performance.

We hope you’ll engage with Nix as it was intended:
Conscientiously, kindly, and only when you feel it’s right for you.

Want to understand exactly how your data is handled and what Nix keeps (or doesn’t)?
You can read the full Privacy & Data Ethics Policy here.