Harvard Center for International Development AI for Good? Navigating Innovation, Participation, and Impact in Humanitarian Work
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Apr 9, 2025 
Emily Janoch, Associate VP at CARE, shares her 18 years of experience in using AI for dignity-focused development. Alongside Kalkidan Lakew, a Program Coordinator, they discuss the ethical challenges of AI in humanitarian work. They stress the importance of incorporating community voices and addressing bias in data collection. The conversation highlights how technology can empower women and enhance understanding of community needs. Their insights reveal a vision of AI not just for efficiency, but as a tool for justice and equity in crisis situations.
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AI-Driven Needs Assessment
- AI empowers faster, larger-scale needs assessments by analyzing qualitative data.
- This allows diverse perspectives and reveals unforeseen needs, like using ashes for sanitation in Nepal.
Ashes for Sanitation
- During a Nepal public health crisis, AI analysis revealed an unexpected pattern.
- People used ashes for hand sanitization due to lack of soap, highlighting AI's ability to uncover hidden needs.
Context in Prediction Models
- Design prediction models with context-specific data.
- Avoid simply transferring algorithms from different scenarios like sales prediction to public health crises.