Since AI research is rapidly progressing, it is challenging to get a clear sense of all the different ways AI could be applied to development work in the future; nonetheless, the following are a couple areas where current AI technologies are expected to provide significant added-value.
First, AI allows us to develop innovative new solutions to many complex problems faced by developing countries. As an example, a malaria test traditionally requires a well-trained medical professional who analyzes blood samples under a microscope. In Uganda, an experiment showed that real-time and high-accuracy malaria diagnoses are possible with machines running on low-powered devices such as Android phones.
Secondly, AI could make significant contributions to designing effective development policies by enabling accurate predictions at lower costs. One promising example is the case of the US-based startup called Descartes. The company uses satellite imagery and machine learning to make corn yield forecasts in the US. They use spectral information to measure chlorophyll levels of corn, which is then used to estimate corn production. Their projections have proven to be consistently more accurate than the survey-based estimates used by the US Department of Agriculture. This kind of revolution in prediction has great potential to help developing economies design more effective policies, including for mitigating the impact of natural disasters.
Written by: LEEBONG LEE
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