We’re so pleased to announce that DataKind is officially joining the Partnership on Artificial Intelligence! The Partnership on AI (PAI) is a multi-stakeholder organization bringing together for-profit industry, civil society organizations, and academia to study and formulate the best practices on AI technologies, to advance the public’s understanding of AI, and to serve as an open platform for discussion and engagement about AI and its influences on people and society. We couldn’t be more aligned to this cause as our mission at DataKind is virtually synonymous — to create a world in which data science and AI are used ethically and capably in the service of humanity. There’s huge potential to reach this goal together, and we’re humbled to be a member of the partnership.
The work of the partnership is organized into Thematic Pillars, each focused on a specific area of risk or opportunity for the development of AI. Within PAI, we’re particularly excited to play the key role of connector between the many technology companies in the group committed to making positive social change and the needs on the ground that they could support. We’ve long acted as an organization that helps social sector organizations identify the places data science, machine learning, and AI could amplify their work, and helped them get the resources needed to craft those solutions thoughtfully. From building algorithms that identify open pit mines from remote sensing imagery with Global Witness to predicting demand for clean water and optimizing it to reach millions in need with the Moulton Niguel Water District,we pride ourselves on supporting social changemakers to use machine learning and AI to advance their missions.
What we’ve found over the years, however, is that an increasing number of technology providers are also now approaching DataKind for guidance or connections on how to deploy their technology, data, or staff in pursuit of social good. It can be a long, arduous process to understand and scope the AI solutions needed by nonprofits and governments in the social sector, and many companies can’t afford to go through that discovery process. As a global network of data scientists sitting between the two worlds of technology and social impact, we’re fortunate to be able to play this bridging role. We look forward to sharing our learnings about what works and what doesn’t in bringing advanced technology to social causes. Our hope is that others may learn from, improve, and build upon the work that DataKind has focused on over the last six years.
We’re honored to be included amongst the other members of PAI, including our data crushes Data & Society and AINow, organizational partners we’ve worked with like Amnesty International and UNDP, visionary funders of ours like the Omidyar Network, and of course many of our longstanding technology supporters from Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and more. We applaud PAI’s leadership in building this community, and we couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity. We can’t wait to be of service to all those at PAI that are striving to move beyond the tired constraints of the bottomline to instead create AI that’s, first and foremost, designed to support a healthier, more sustainable, and prosperous world for all.
