NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, August 27, 2018

By Sameer Maskey

Artificial intelligence (AI) has seeped into the daily lives of people in the developed world. From virtual assistants to recommendation engines, AI is in the news, our homes and offices. There is a lot of untapped potential in terms of AI usage, especially in humanitarian areas. The impact could have a multiplier effect in developing countries, where resources are limited. By leveraging the power of AI, businesses, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and governments can solve life-threatening problems and improve the livelihood of local communities in the developing world.

Growing up in Nepal, I witnessed firsthand some of the problems and struggles that a developing nation faces. I was also there when the city of Kathmandu got struck by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015 and remember the damage it caused. I believe the effects could have been mitigated had the country been well-prepared for what was coming. I recently gave a keynote speech at a conference in Nepal on how to use AI in developing countries. Unlike the technical conferences where I usually speak, the audience at this conference was different. They were government employees, policymakers and business executives who don’t have technical expertise in AI but do have questions on how AI is going to affect Nepal’s future. Many developing countries like Nepal have the same concerns — how can they use AI to improve their countries’ economies and save lives? Here are a few use cases of AI that I believe can have a huge impact in developing countries.

Photo courtesy of Andrew Magill.