In the recent years, AI has been an inherent part of all technology discussions and is now playing an integral role in changing the way the world works. Our interaction with technology has undergone a silent revolution: AI is now a part of our everyday lives, often in forms we do not even realize.
While it has already been applied in several sectors such as Finance, Retail and Transportation to develop and transform processes, the potential and role of AI in transforming lives for the better, is immense. International Aid Organisations are collaborating across nations to make game-changing inventions in AI for the larger good of people, such as telemedicine, diagnosing life-threatening diseases, and aiding disaster-relief efforts.
Though AI is being tapped to address some of the world’s most challenging problems, its application in the social sector is still largely undertapped. Successful application and scaling of AI for social good will depend on the willingness and engagement of a large group of stakeholders- including public and private firms, as well as governments and NGOs.
Another major obstacle in the application of AI is a considerable shortage of AI experts in the social sector. Owing to it being a relatively emerging technology, it shall be some time before the supply meets the demand.
Organizations in public and private sectors have an active role to play in negating these persisting challenges. They are capable of not only fostering talent in AI but also driving more efforts in developing AI solutions that have a social impact.
e-Zest, being an IT organisation, has always supported and encouraged the use of technology to drive the social cause. Given this intent, we have undertaken a number of initiatives, be it through our Digital Literacy Bus, our Telemedicine initiative, or through our annual #HackathonPune.
In keeping with our constant effort to give back to society, we have consciously chosen ‘AI for Social Good – in Healthcare, Education and Government’ as our theme for the fourth edition of #HackathonPune, to encourage participants to leverage an emerging technology and develop solutions that would help address common problems in these sectors. The sectors of Healthcare, Education and Government were chosen considering the widespread social impact that innovation in these sectors can bring about.
I’m hoping to see a lot more come out of this initiative, and will be writing more about the same in my next blog.
