Engage-AI is a pioneering and experimental nonprofit organization working to support the deployment of artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI/ML) as a means of improving lives in diverse communities throughout the world. We believe that by leveraging the data-mining and predictive capabilities of AI/ML, these communities can independently create opportunities, allocate resources, and build capacity for future needs in alignment with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Promoting AI/Machine Learning to Improve People's Lives and Protect the Planet
Emad Tinawi,
Executive Director and Founder, Engage-AI
An international advocacy group of data scientists, economists, researchers, and volunteers, Engage-AI is guided by a dedicated Advisory Committee made up of leaders in technology, policy building, and education. We seek to engage local governments, universities, businesses, grassroots organizations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to understand how AI/ML can impact the world and the future of humankind in both positive and negative ways. We believe that by seizing the opportunity to expand the potential benefits of AI/ML, communities can harness its transformative capabilities to improve lives while protecting the environment.
Engage-AI seeks to discover effective ways to promote and apply AI/ML in diverse communities across the globe to help improve human conditions. We believe that when properly deployed , AI/ML can assist in positioning these communities to independently address their specific challenges, build capacity for future needs, and create opportunities for growth, thereby retaining critical talent and improving lives and livelihoods.
Engage-AI envisions a future in which diverse communities will utilize and manage AI/ML to enable them to “prosper while protecting the planet,” in alignment with the UN’s 2030 Agenda. Each community will direct its own destiny while having a seat at the table in the global discussion about the future of humankind and the world in which we live.
“Recent advances in ML/AI have led to an explosion in data-driven innovation in the wealthy world, providing benefits ranging from smarter, more efficient energy usage to increased crop yields to individually optimized medical treatments, but these benefits have not been shared by everyone. We aim to help more of the world benefit from these tools, to democratize data, and harness its potential to accelerate progress in challenges to sustainable development.”
Ryan White,
Senior Advisor on Data Sciences, Engage-AI
Our values are rooted in the ideals and principles of the UN Charter, which affirms the dignity and worth of the individual, upholds the equal rights of all people and all nations, large and small, and promotes inclusive social and economic progress for everyone.
AI/ML has the potential to better the human condition. For this to happen, the technology needs to be developed and deployed in a way that is human-centered and capable of benefiting communities and individuals across the globe. Engage-AI wants to be part of that effort.
We value collaboration and collective action. Humanity’s pressing economic, social, and environmental challenges cannot be solved by one country, one community, or one individual. They require a broad and deep mixture of solutions at both global and local levels. We are committed to engaging with global organizations and governments, local communities, educational institutions, private businesses, and grassroots organizations to harness AI/ML technology to improve people’s lives.
“Engage-AI wants to play a role in communicating how we progress from basic ML to statistics and to make broader advances in technology, data collection and dissemination to become a key player in WTO and such organizations.”
Dr. Arthur Westneat
Sr. Development Economist, Engage-AI
Engage-AI’s overarching goal is to encourage the use of AI/ML to improve lives while protecting the environment, in accordance with UN’s 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs. The 2030 Agenda is supported by countries around the world, and we look to it as a guide to achieving this end.
We understand, however, that carrying out the Agenda is a considerable challenge for both rich and poor countries alike. Thus, we seek to expand our knowledge of how that Agenda can be applied within the context of a specific community. We believe that working directly with local communities is key to honing viable solutions that support the Agenda and the SDGs, and that AL/ML can assist, facilitate, and accelerate the implementation of the Agenda.
Increase Awareness and Deployment of AI/ML. We are committed to working with communities to increase awareness of AI/ML and accelerate its deployment in policy making and implementation. Advances in AI/ML present an opportunity for communities to improve and enhance existing policies and programs and design new ones that address issues such as equality, poverty, affordable housing, access to education and healthcare, and employment opportunities. By analyzing enormous amounts of data from typical Big Data sources, as well as less common ones like satellites and social media, AI/ML can reveal new patterns, connections, and dependencies among seemingly unrelated factors. For example, datasets pinpointing migratory trends from rural areas to cities enable more precise planning for investment in urban housing and services.
Foster the collection and analysis of, and access to, quality data. Big Data is the lifeline of AI/ML, and governments and companies alike are in an unprecedented race to acquire as much data as they can. Bias can easily slip into the process, compromising data integrity and presenting skewed patterns that may not reflect real-life conditions. Furthermore, significant amounts of data are not accessible to the public. We seek to explore the implications of data collection, analysis, and use and promote the creation of data commons.
Engage-AI uses a three-pronged approach to involve stakeholders in developing community-specific ways to use AI/ML to address systemic challenges, such as poverty, public health issues, infrastructure gaps, and environmental degradation. We are also forging partnerships to carry out experimental, iterative design projects to gain a more refined understanding of opportunities and how they could be implemented.
Engage-AI works with universities and learning institutions to understand and raise critical questions about how AI/ML works and how it affects humanity; we are also working together to plan and assemble datasets and run our first AI/ML trials.
We welcome opportunities to partner with institutions of higher learning and others to advance the use of AI/ML, equipping countries with the technology they need to independently solve their challenges. Please fill out and submit the form provided under the Contact Engage-AI tab to start the conversation.
In addition to universities and local governments, we seek partnerships with businesses and NGOs that can bring AI/ML expertise to the table. Together, we can expand our ability to understand how policies can be developed within the specific cultural, political, and social climates that exist in various regions around the world.
Engage-AI would appreciate the opportunity to work with businesses and NGOs to support diverse communities on their transformational journeys through AI/ML. Please fill out and submit the form under the “Contact Engage-AI” tab to start the conversation.
The Engage-AI team is developing an AI-enhanced analytical approach to the integration of data on the UN’s 17 SDGs to better understand evolving patterns. This approach will lead to more effective policy and resource management across the SDGs. Our partner organizations are working to improve and develop platforms and tools that will enable better data collection and analysis.