Engagement Discussion: What is AI and how can we use it to achieve Development goals

The rapid rise and prevalence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) is raising fundamental questions about the role and impact of these technologies on society and how best to navigate the opportunities and challenges they pose. The answers to these questions are complex, multidisciplinary and vary wildly from the overly optimistic to the deeply pessimistic. The debate becomes even more complicated when tackling issues of AI in relation to global equity, fairness and sustainable development.

Because actors in the international development field are perpetually grappling with the meaning of their work and the effectiveness of their tools, layering another dimension might feel overwhelming—particularly for those who do not come from the tech world, when the issue at hand is a new digital technology. However, the challenge of forming a foundational understanding of how AI/ML might impact communities lacking basic resources such as electricity does not in fact need to be a daunting endeavor.

AI is here and already transforming our societies. For those who care about and work in international development, we need to be better informed and engaged with AI and its potential impact on development.

Join the conversation by participating in our live online series of Engagement Discussions where we will explore step by step, why Development must become aware of these technologies and how they can be leveraged.

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In this second Engagement Discussion “What is AI and how can we use it to achieve Development goals”, we will discuss what is artificial intelligence and how it can be incorporated into the design of development programs.

We will cover the following topics:

•  An historical view of deep learning and the primary suite of methods driving innovations in computer vision, speech recognition, natural language processing, and beyond
• A brief history of AI, how and why it emerged
• Use-cases and opportunities stemming from AI in development
• Challenges for use of AI in development

Speaker: Ryan T. White, Researching Mathematician and Assistant Professor at Florida Institute of Technology

Moderator: Art Westneat, Senior Economist