Track 4.1: Innovating Measurement: Can artificial intelligence help us avoid artificial impact?

This discussion, moderated by Chris Malone, delved into the intersection of AI and philanthropy, exploring the opportunities and challenges that AI presents. The speakers emphasised philanthropy's pivotal role in shaping the adoption and deployment of AI, focusing on ethics, addressing biases, and fostering innovation within social impact work.

Sevda Kilicalp expressed optimism about AI’s predictive capabilities, which can forecast environmental and health-related crises, helping organisations to prepare and mitigate future risks. Milos Maricic pointed to the decreasing costs of AI tools, making them more accessible to NGOs and philanthropic organisations with the potential of improving productivity and achieving greater impact. Niko Moesgaard spoke about the efficiency gains AI offers, allowing organisations to process data more effectively and extract valuable insights, such as screening grant applications and looking up funding opportunities. Felecia Webb from Partnership on AI highlighted AI’s potential to empower foundations and local communities, particularly in education and social justice.

The role of philanthropy in AI adoption was another key focus. Seeing AI as a public interest technology, Webb underscored the importance of civil society’s involvement in AI development to avoid being left behind. Kilicalp called for philanthropy to act as a convener, bringing diverse voices together to shape AI policies.

Ethical concerns and bias in AI were major themes. Webb warned of the dangers of AI reinforcing historical biases, explaining that algorithms trained on biased data could perpetuate inequalities. Kilicalp emphasised the need for philanthropies to consider unintended biases in data, privacy concerns, regular monitoring of algorithms, and the need to ensure ethical use and development of AI among vendors and grantees. 

Malone outlined three main risks: misinformation and deepfakes, job displacement, and the threat of AI in the hands of bad actors. Maricic argued that AI’s potential to boost productivity outweighs fears of job losses. Moesgaard saw AI as a must for organisations to remain competitive. Webb, meanwhile, highlighted AI’s ability to create jobs and drive innovation.

The panellists concluded with recommendations for organisations that adopt AI. Kilicalp urged them to educate themselves and collaborate with peers. Maricic suggested using free AI tools from big tech companies, while Moesgaard emphasised the importance of partnerships. Webb encouraged organisations to take risks, even if outcomes are uncertain, as the lessons learned will be invaluable.