The IDRC / CRDI published a white paper on Artificial intelligence and human development. AI’s potential for enhancing development efforts is enormous, but we need to ensure its ethical and equitable use.
“Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to enhance productivity and innovation around the world. The expected benefits promise to be transformative, but the negative repercussions could be magnified in developing countries, where the livelihoods of many people are precarious and social institutions can be fragile.
AI’s influence will be widespread because it can be integrated with other technologies and applied to almost any activity that involves information and communication technologies. In an effort to improve understanding of how to ethically and equitably implement AI in the development context, IDRC has published the white paper Artificial intelligence and human development. It outlines the potential benefits and risks of this new technology and presents a proactive research agenda to address challenges posed by AI that are of particular concern in the developing world.”
There is enormous potential for how AI can benefit the developing world and what it can contribute towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The white paper addresses issues such as AI and healthcare, agriculture, economic development, etc. as well as the potential risks like threatening privacy, loss of jobs, fake news and misinformation.
Download the IDRC/CRDI white paper in full here.
Photograph credit: Marius Masalar