Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made its way into the mainstream zeitgeist by creating new channels for humans to interact with technology. It is rapidly evolving and significantly impacting daily lives and various sectors, including international development. AI today influences international development by offering a cost-effective way to discover innovative solutions to complex global challenges. AI can also expand the reach of development projects to maximize benefits globally. However, it is important to implement AI tools responsibly to prevent any biases, privacy violations, or non-transparent use of data and information. The following article outlines many AI tools and their impact on various international development sectors. By leveraging the potential of AI in these contexts, international development projects can become more efficient, scalable and accessible. At Jabi Consulting, we believe in the power of AI and other technologies to transform the capacity of governments, organizations, and community members to tackle the most pressing challenges in today’s international development landscape. We see important synergies between AI tools and our extensive work across the Middle East.
Global Health
AI is revolutionizing global healthcare with innovative diagnostic tools, predictive analytics, remote care, and personalized treatment plans. This is particularly beneficial in low-resource settings where access to healthcare is limited.
Malaria Detection | While XRapid previously pioneered smartphone-based malaria diagnosis, similar solutions are being explored globally to make disease detection more accessible.
Malnutrition Assessment | The Indian firm Anthropometry.ai uses smartphone-based tools for assessing infant malnutrition by comparing images against standard measurements.
Cough Diagnostics |Hyfe AI offers a consumer-facing app that analyzes cough sounds to detect health issues such as pneumonia, asthma, and tuberculosis.
TB Treatment Adherence | Wadhwani AI uses AI to predict TB patient follow-up challenges and engage patients to enhance treatment adherence.
Enhanced Clinical Experience | Merative uses AI to help medical professionals make better decisions, automate daily tasks, and analyze medical data in real-time to create better personalized treatment plans.
Predict the Spread of Diseases | BlueDot uses AI to track the spread of infectious diseases.
Boost Productivity | The Enlitic Curie platform has improved healthcare workflows through AI-powered solutions, tackling the industry’s most pressing challenges by standardizing data and optimizing workflow inefficiencies.
Humanitarian Assistance
AI is transforming disaster management and response by improving disaster prediction and crisis mapping, resource allocation, and operational efficiency. This can save lives and reduce the long- and short-term impact of disasters on vulnerable communities.
Flood Risk Prediction | Google Flood Hub uses predictive analytics to assess flood risks.
Aircraft Threat Detection | Hala Systems developed early warning systems in Syria to predict aircraft routes and alert civilians.
Humanitarian Logistics | Tools like Optimus developed by the United Nations’ World Food Program use AI to improve the efficiency of food distribution in crisis zones.
Refugee Assistance | AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, like Refugee.Info, provide refugees with real-time information about legal rights, available services, and safety tips in multiple languages.
Mental Health Support | Wysa, and other AI-driven platforms, can provide mental health support and coping strategies through chatbots to individuals affected by crises.
Climate Change and the Environment
AI-powered solutions address critical environmental challenges through conservation initiatives, climate prediction and modeling, and monitoring land and water use. This contributes to more sustainable environmental practices and climate resilience.
Illegal Logging Detection | Rainforest Connection uses acoustic sensors and AI to detect logging in protected areas.
Trans-Species Communication | The Earth Species Project employs generative AI to bridge communication between humans and animals.
Plastic Pollution in Oceans | The The Ocean Cleanup is an environmental organization using AI and other technologies to help clear plastic pollution from the ocean.
Predict Extreme Weather Events | The United Nation’s IKI Project uses AI technology to help predict weather patterns, so communities and authorities in Africa can better plan how to adapt to climate change and mitigate its impact.
Waste Management | AI systems, like Greyparrot, can help to tackle climate change by making waste management more efficient, including monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste.
Monitoring Glacier Ice Melt | AI systems, like the ones developed by the University of Leeds, can track changes in icebergs and glaciers, providing valuable data on melting rates and contributing to our understanding of sea-level rise.
Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
AI empowers women through digital tools that enhance access to education, employment opportunities and entrepreneurship, financial literacy, healthcare, and personal safety. This can break down traditional barriers to gender equality and encourage changes in public policy and discourse.
Business Proposal Assistance | Grant Assistant helps women entrepreneurs create high-quality business proposals.
Language Support | Tools like Grammarly improve written communication for those learning English later in life.
Bias Detection and Mitigation | AI can identify and mitigate gender biases in data and algorithms, such as IBM’s AI Fairness 360 and Google’s What-If Tool.
Support Working Mothers | PaidLeave.ai is a tool for working parents in New York State find out what paid leave they are entitled to.
Mentorship and Networking | Platforms like MentorNet use AI to connect women in STEM fields with mentors, providing support and guidance to help them advance in their careers.
Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance
AI supports good governance and adherence to human rights through monitoring and reporting, fighting disinformation, and improving civic engagement. This helps build trust in public institutions and political stability.
Election Violence Prediction | Researchers achieved 85% accuracy in predicting election-related violence using sentiment analysis. Solutions are being developed by firms like DataKind.
Ethical AI Use | IBM’s Watsonx.governance provides model risk management, regulatory compliance, and bias detection to ensure ethical AI practices in governance.
Counter Mis- and Dis-Information | AI algorithms, such as factfully.ai, can analyze vast amounts of online content to detect and flag false information to quickly verify the accuracy of statements made by politicians and media outlets.
Enhance Civic Engagement | AI-powered platforms, like those studied by GovTech, can facilitate greater civic engagement by providing citizens with easier access to information and enabling more effective communication with government officials.
Economic Growth and Trade
AI tools help facilitate trade and renewable energy solutions by improving productivity, efficiency, job creation and transformation, and market access. This helps to foster innovation, financial independence, and economic stability.
Language Translation | Google Translate and Wordly enable real-time verbal and text translation across languages.
Renewable Energy Management | Husk Power Systems employs AI to optimize mini-grid energy solutions in rural areas.
Predictive Analytics | SAP Analytics Cloud uses machine learning algorithms to process and analyze extensive datasets, predicting future economic trends with greater precision.
Investment and Trade Prediction | REDI Cincinnati uses predictive analytics to identify growing companies that will likely make future investments.
Economic Forecasting | The OECD Weekly Tracker uses Google Trends to forecast weekly GDP growth using data from 46 countries across various economic sectors.
Agriculture and Food Security
AI is advancing sustainable food production and distribution through precision agriculture that monitors crop and soil health, runs automated machinery, and predicts future production. This helps farmers optimize resource use, increase yields, and reduce environmental impact.
Pest Control | Plantix analyzes images to detect pests and recommend solutions, while Blue River Technology uses visual cues to inform machinery when to spray pesticides.
Crop Yield Prediction | EO Data Science provides tools like Paddy Watch for rice crop yield predictions.
Field Management | FarmWise and Carbon Robotics both integrate AI and other technology into cutting-edge machinery to help agricultural producers increase yields through smart weeding, pest control, and planting.
Livestock Monitoring | CattleEye uses AI to monitor the behavior and health of livestock in real-time.
Efficient Irrigation | Companies like Arable and CropX have introduced smart sensors and AI models that not only make water usage more efficient but also promote sustainable agricultural practices by reducing water waste and improving crop yield and quality.
Education
AI tools are transforming learning by enhancing accessibility. These tools can adapt to individual learning styles and provide real-time feedback to help bridge educational gaps in underserved communities.
Personalized Learning | Rori Maths Tutor in India improves math learning outcomes at minimal costs.
Assistive Technology | Livox uses AI to assist differently-abled individuals in communication.
Explain Difficult Concepts | ELI5 helps you transform complex concepts into easy-to-understand language. ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are also used by many students to explain difficult concepts.
Study Tools | Khan Academy uses AI to provide personalized learning experiences on a variety of subjects, adapting to each student’s pace and level of understanding.
Plagiarism Detection | Turnitin is an online platform for students to submit assignments virtually that utilizes AI to detect plagiarism and provide feedback on student assignments, ensuring academic integrity.
Lesson Plans | Nearpod is an interactive platform that uses AI to create engaging lesson plans and provide real-time feedback to teachers.
