A2i and GiveDirectly join forces to combat poverty using AI

FE Team | Published: March 11, 2024 23:34:26

The a2i, in partnership with GiveDirectly, a nonprofit organisation that delivers unconditional cash transfers to impoverished communities, hosted an international learning event in the capital recently, says a statement.
The a2i and GiveDirectly have been working closely together with funding from USAID and Google.org and technical assistance from the University of California Berkeley to utilize machine learning and phone data to improve the targeting of humanitarian aid in Bangladesh.
They have remotely identified vulnerable Rohingya refugee hosts and impacted communities and delivered cash transfers through mobile money.
This transformational approach predicts the poverty status of individual mobile phone users based on their phone usage patterns. The project aligns with the government's Smart Bangladesh Vision by harnessing technology to quickly and efficiently identify and assist those most in need during emergencies.
The event also marked the launch of an innovative climate crisis-responsive cash project to address key questions relevant to anticipatory action efforts globally in partnership with the University of Oxford and Google Flood Forecasting Initiative, including generating further evidence on providing anticipatory vs. post-disaster cash assistance.
"By harnessing technology to optimize humanitarian aid delivery, we are advancing the government's vision of leveraging AI to drive positive change, enhance efficiency across all facets of governance, and contribute to broader national development objectives," said Mollah Mizanur Rahman, Joint Project Director of a2i.