Ep 19: USAID, AI & Innovation: A Conversation with USAID Chief Innovation Officers The Aid Market Podcast

Mohamed Abdel-Kader, Chief Innovation Officer at USAID and Alexis Bonnell, Former Chief Innovation Officer at USAID, discussed the impact of AI and other machine learning tools. They explored the balance between the risks and rewards associated with these tools, reaching a consensus that AI can revolutionize USAID's impact when appropriately developed and utilized. The discussion emphasized the importance of developing AI to benefit all countries where USAID is active, not just English-speaking nations.
Recognizing the rapid advancement of machine learning, the speakers stressed the need for precision and thoughtfulness in posing questions to AI, given its evolving nature. They also addressed issues of localization, pointing out the challenges when native languages are overlooked or when communities lack access to computers.
Mike highlighted upcoming events for those interested in collaborating with USAID. On February 15th, SID-US will host its annual career fair, followed by the annual conference on April 26th in Washington, DC. He expressed his belief that this conference is a must-attend event of the year.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[01:53] Mike Shanley introduces today's guests and shares their backgrounds.
[02:53] Mohamed describes his role at USAID as Chief Innovation Officer and talks about how technology is advancing with the advent of machine learning tools.
[6:30] Mohamed touches on some of the early-use cases that he's seen of AI applications or other technologies.
[12:47] Mohamed reflects on the potential risks AI presents and whether the good outweighs the bad.
 [17:04] Alexis comments that we are navigating at a different rate of change in technology; therefore, we need to be intentional about how we use AI, and she provides an example of an experiment she led. 
[26:08] Mohamed discusses the ethical development of AI, strengthening policies and systems that govern AI and accessing computing power in parts of the world where it's cost-prohibitive. 
[31:38] Alexis discusses how the cultures and identities of different countries impact how you work with them. She describes a sector who asked themselves if they have been as innovative as they think they have been and how AI revealed a surprising result to their question.
[38:42] Mohamad discusses the significance of localization in AI, emphasizing the interconnected nature of our world and the necessity of incorporating it into our AI tools. He notes that numerous countries are enthusiastic about AI, viewing it as a tool to propel their advancement.
[46:00] Alexis says that there's a gold mine for all of the entities to bring unique applications to USAID, suggesting you can recycle or reuse proposals. 
[52:34] The panelists leave advice to the listeners. 
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Led by Mohamed Abdel-Kader, USAID’s Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub, formerly known as the Global Development Lab, team is behind cutting edge tech development and approaches within the digital space. USAID strives to reach more people through innovative and cost effective approaches from cybersecurity, to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, digital finance, digital inclusion, and digital literacy.
AI is an extremely powerful tool that is evolving and changing daily. With this, comes the risk that a lot of people will be left behind. But there's also tremendous opportunity in the AI space. USAID actively works to intentionally shape this technology to be useful for everyone, while exploring the practicalities of how they might achieve this goal. 
USAID plays a unique role in fostering the ethical development of AI and other tools through various approaches. Mohamed and his team focus on utilizing the powerful tool of AI responsibly in environments where there are a lot of vulnerable people. USAID takes an ecosystem approach to discern how AI as a tool sits in the broader digital ecosystem within USAID’s partner countries and how