Learn How Scotland is Pioneering AI for Social Good

In one of our recent webinars Kyle Usher of Nesta presented on the topic of ‘Powering Good: Leveraging AI for Social Good’.

A tremendously exciting development is ‘AI for Good’, the use of the technology for positive social transformation, such as Seven Inspiring Examples. Wired magazine does also make the key point that we must be careful not to avoid addressing the root issues first.

Google describe over 2,600 potential use case scenarios, with organizations like AI for Social Good Foundation and the Turing Institute offering deep programs to support scaled implementation.

Various tech organizations, from Google to Huawei, have launched their projects under the AI for Good flag. They deploy technology like machine learning to address underlying issues like crime, poverty, disease, and hunger.

In 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed around 60 pioneers of AI-driven organizations, such as Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, to a Tech for Good Summit in Paris, and the United Nations in Geneva hosts a yearly AI for Global Good Summit.

One advancement with a high effect has been Google’s Public Alerts and SOS Alerts on environmental causes, which use AI to make emergency information more accessible. Since its dispatch in 2017, the plan has activated more than 200 SOS alarms and a massive number of public alerts, which have been seen more than 1.5 billion times. Google likewise has a significant task to help predict flooding. Consistently, floods influence an expected 250 million individuals around the globe and cost billions of pounds in damages.

AI is also helping to eradicate the hunger issues we are going to face by 2040-50. In addition to creating healthy seeds. AI can be utilized to computerize dull undertakings, detect disease for early interventions, apply herbicide precisely and significantly boost crop creation.

AI for Good in Scotland

In Scotland the industry is championed by Kate Forbes, who chairs Scotland’s AI Strategy, with major policy research and investment led by Nesta, awarding £105,000 of grant funding to seven projects based in Scotland using innovative AI tools to help tackle social challenges.

This report summarizes the work to date, which includes:

• Heriot-Watt University is exploring AI to end gender bias in smart assistants.
• Space Intelligence is using AI to interpret satellite data to map wildlife habitat and help restore, connect and protect Scotland’s natural environment.
• City of Glasgow College is using AI to develop accent recognition and enable adult learners to improve their literacy.
• Housing and care provider Blackwood looks after care users remotely using AI energy monitoring.
• The University of Edinburgh are leveraging AI-enabled smart prosthetics to provide haptic feedback to amputees.
• Red Star AI Ltd use AI to improve the human side of diabetes diagnostics and treatment.
• Using an AI enabled chat-bot, Voxsio help young people talk about and understand their mental health.