Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, is launching a new program to help fund nonprofits developing technology that harnesses genetic artificial intelligence.
Called the Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI, the program is set to be funded with $20 million in grants and include 21 nonprofits to start with, including Quill.org, a company that builds artificial intelligence tools for student written feedback, and World Bank, which is building a productive AI application to make development research more accessible.
In addition to funding, nonprofits in the six-week accelerator program will have access to technical training, workshops, mentors and guidance from an “AI coach.” And, through the Google.org grant program, teams of Googlers will work with three of the nonprofits—Tarjimly, Benefits Data Trust, and mRelief—full-time for up to six months to help launch the proposed artificial intelligence tools. intelligence.
Tarjimly aims to use AI to translate languages for refugees, while the Benefits Data Trust is leveraging AI to create assistants that support employees to help low-income claimants sign up for public benefits. mRelief, meanwhile, is designing a tool to streamline the application process for US SNAP benefits.
“Genetic AI can help social impact teams be more productive, creative and effective in serving their communities,” said Annie Lewin, director of global advocacy at Google.org. suspension. “Google.org funding recipients report that AI helps them achieve their goals one-third of the time at nearly half the cost.”
According to a PwrdBy overview, 73% of nonprofits believe that AI innovation aligns with their missions, and 75% believe that AI makes their lives easier, particularly in areas such as donor categorization, routine back-office tasks, and the “mission-driven” initiatives. However, there are still significant barriers for non-profits looking to build their own AI solutions or adopt third-party products – primarily cost, resources and time.
In the blog post, Lewin cites a Google.org overview It similarly found that while four in five nonprofits believe genetic AI might be applicable to their work, nearly half are not using the technology as a result of a range of internal and external barriers. “[These nonprofits] cite a lack of tools, awareness, training and funding as the biggest barriers to adoption,” he said.
Encouragingly, the number of nonprofit AI-focused startups is beginning to grow.
Nonprofit accelerator Fast Forward said that this year, more than a third of applicants for its latest class were AI companies. And Crunchbase References that, more broadly, dozens of nonprofits around the world are devoting work around ethical approaches to AI, such as the Ethical AI Lab AlgorithmWatch, the virtual reading clinic JoyEducation, and the conservation advocacy group Earth05.
