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The Role of AI in Global Development
Home - The Role of AI in Global Development
Introduction
Artificial intelligence is no longer just a buzzword in the tech world; it is slowly and steadily becoming an indispensable part of our lives. Whether it is the virtual assistant on our smartphones or recommendation algorithms on streaming services, AI surrounds us everywhere. Beyond these conveniences, AI presents huge opportunities for making lives better in developing countries. AI can change everything here, especially in regions where poverty and poor healthcare remain significant challenges, as well as low education levels. This post will deal with how AI is being applied to solve pressing issues in global development-on access to healthcare, agriculture, and education.
Before we talk about its use, let’s break what AI actually is. To its core, AI refers to those computer systems capable of accomplishing tasks that most believe require human intelligence, as in learning from experience (a.k.a. machine learning) or understanding natural language akin to how we speak. It also identifies patterns — like finding objects in photos.
It can be thought of as an advanced calculator. Just like how a calculator can solve maths problems in a very short period, AI can analyse huge data sets and make predictions or decisions based on that data. It is like having a super-smart assistant that can help solve problems, identify trends, and provide insights that we might not see at first glance.
Improving Healthcare Access
The medical area of human life is considered the most significant area where AI intervention would be able to significantly help, especially for those in developing countries with their serious shortage of health professional employees. According to WHO, many regions have basic health services not provided.
Hence, it hampers the way toward treating individuals for their diseases; thereby, more deaths may also be caused. Some issues regarding healthcare at the current scenario are discussed in brief in the following text:
Challenges of Healthcare at the present moment
The healthcare system in many developing countries is overstretched. There are few doctors, nurses, or clinics to cater to the population. Long distances to healthcare facilities, high costs of treatment, and limited access to medical information further complicate the situation. For instance, a rural village may have only one doctor for hundreds of patients, making it difficult for patients to get timely care.
AI Solutions
AI is being used to fill this gap in healthcare access. The newest innovation is AI-based diagnostic tools. These tools can analyse images, such as X-rays or skin lesions, and give preliminary diagnoses. For example, a smartphone application can help a user determine if he or she has skin cancer by comparing the images of his or her skin conditions to a database of known cases. This is helpful enough so that an individual can seek advice from a doctor earlier and turns out to be quite helpful in areas where the dermatologists are unavailable freely.
Remote consultation services are another way AI is improving healthcare. Telemedicine platforms use AI to connect patients with doctors through video calls or chat services. Patients can describe their symptoms and receive medical advice without having to travel long distances. This is crucial for those living in remote areas where healthcare facilities are scarce.
Further, AI systems can analyse health data in monitoring outbreaks and tracking changes in public health. Through the pandemic of COVID-19, AI tracked infection rates in real time and predicted which hotspots to expect, giving governments a clear head start against emergent threats.
Real-Life Case Studies
Several countries have applied AI solutions and successfully improved health care access. For example, in Kenya, the 4MD is an AI-based health care delivery platform that provides services for healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat patients located in rural areas via mobile technology. Users can get remote consultations using the medical knowledge available, thereby significantly improving health care delivery.
The use of telemedicine continues to grow leaps and bounds in India. Various initiatives, including the e-Sanjevani app, allow millions to seek tele-medical consultations across geographies for the delivery of much-needed healthcare services.
Revolutionising Agriculture
Agriculture is one of the most sensitive fields where AI can profoundly change, especially in developing countries that mainly rely on agriculture for living. Most farmers suffer from unpredictable weather, pests, and lack of resources; hence, there is food insecurity and financial crisis in families.
Challenges in Agriculture
Most of the developing countries employ olden ways of conducting farming practices, and people involved in farming lack proper awareness about the modern ways.
Climate change complicates productivity in agriculture. Erratic climate conditions may lead to extreme droughts or floods. Another damaging threat is pests to crop plants, and farmers’ tools for identifying such perils are not developed appropriately.
Such issues have been directly addressed by farmers through the use of AI technologies. Precision farming is one of them, wherein AI helps to analyse data concerning weather conditions, health of soil, and crop performance. It guides the farmers in taking proper decisions concerning sowing, irrigation, and harvesting crops.
AI-powered weather predicting models help predict the nature of upcoming weather conditions that in turn enable farmers to be very prepared for those bad times. For example, a system powered with artificial intelligence may alert one with an impending drought weeks before time runs out that has an opportunity to implement techniques meant for saving water supplies.
AI is also revolutionising pest and disease management. Tools based on AI can scan images of crops for early signs of diseases or pest infestations. Early detection allows farmers to take measures that help in protecting their crops from loss.
In Ethiopia, AI-driven technologies help farmers raise their yields. AI analyses data and makes recommendations; the farmers have reported an increase of up to 30% in crop production. In India, the “Kisan Suvidha” app provides farmers with real-time information on weather forecasts, market prices, and pest control measures, thereby empowering them to make better decisions.
Improving Healthcare
Education is a very crucial part of global development, and yet, many children in developing countries lack quality education. Overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, and various learning needs make it challenging to learn effectively.
Educational Barriers
Many schools in developing regions suffer from overcrowding; there is actually a teacher and hundreds of students that it is highly impossible to give time for individual needs thus leaving wide learning gaps within the developing regions. Learning resources other than qualified teachers such as textbooks are poorly used.
AI can change the landscape of education to ensure students receive customised learning experiences. An AI-driven educational system can determine where a student excels and where he or she needs improvement. For example, an AI-based tutoring system can learn to get in line with a student’s pace and provide supplemental support in areas where the student is weak.
Virtual classrooms and online tutoring are becoming more popular because of the pandemic. With AI, it can enrich this experience with interactive lessons and feedback that will not allow students to lose their momentum.
AI-powered assessment tools can assess the performance of the students and monitor their performance in the long run. Teachers can easily identify such students who require extra attention in specific areas and make corresponding changes in teaching.
Case Studies in Education
Today, there are numerous programs spread all over the world in which AI is being efficiently used to enhance education output. For instance, in South Africa, the “Khan Academy” platform uses an AI algorithm that provides student-specific learning experiences, letting students master any subject with their own pace. Analogously, in Brazil, the “Geekie” platform uses AI to change educational content to suit a particular student’s needs. The outcome was a marvellous improvement in academic performance.
AI and Economic Growth
The benefits of AI cut across a particular sector and trickle down to the general growth of the economy in developing countries. AI can increase productivity and efficiency, thereby driving economic development and creating new jobs.
Potential Economic Benefits
Economical benefits could be enormous and can benefit various industries when processes are optimised and unnecessary costs eliminated. For example, in the manufacturing industry, artificial intelligence is able to manage production lines in a highly efficient way, reducing loss levels and subsequently increasing output rates while at the same time keeping expenses minimal. In the logistics area, AI-based algorithms have been used for supply chain management, therefore reducing time and cost aspects of delivering goods.
Another wave of emerging job opportunities would arise since AI technologies progress in fields such as AI development, data analysis, and technology support. A nation’s need for a proficient labour force during the implementation of AI initiatives will increase its demand for education and training programs as well.
Challenges and Risks
But AI adoption poses some challenges. Job displacement is one. AI could create new jobs, but it may render some obsolete, especially when such tasks are repetitive. The best approach would be to retrain and upskill the workers as a preparation for the new jobs in the future.
Collaborative Efforts
The potential of AI in global development requires that there be collaboration between parties involved. The governments, NGOs, and tech companies are all supposed to collaborate towards implementing AI solutions that are in response to local needs and challenges.
Collaboration can lead to innovative solutions for specific communities. In the case of NGOs, they can bridge the gap between technology providers and populations by ensuring that AI applications are accessible and culturally relevant.
Importantly, local communities should be involved in the development of AI solutions. This will be important because technology developers will now understand very unique challenges that await them in creating more effective and impactful tools.
Ethical Considerations
As we continue embracing AI in global development, let all ethical considerations be well at the forefront. Issues regarding data privacy, security, and the ethical use of AI technologies should be addressed to ensure that communities feel safe and empowered.
This calls for equal access to AI technologies since unequal access will amplify the already existing inequalities. Policies that ensure fair distribution of AI resources and benefits are, therefore, very important since no one should be left behind.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, AI has the potential to transform global development in many ways. It has been creating a brighter future for millions of people in developing countries by improving healthcare access, transforming agriculture, and enhancing education. In embracing this technology, we need to remain committed to its use in ways that uplift and empower communities around the world. Through cooperation fostering, ethical issues being addressed, and equitable access, we can ensure that AI truly is a development tool in support of achieving global development.
Extra Reads and Resources
Readers with interest may want to see the details by following the above reads:
- These works include the books such as “AI for Good: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Global Development” which will provide insight into the project based on the outcomes.
- Articles and reports by organisations which include World Economic Forum and United Nations about their latest trends on AI with development.
- Documentaries focusing real-life examples of AI for further understanding and inspiration can be found.