The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation

When building AI tools, social responsibility principles shouldn’t be an afterthought — they need to be baked in right from the start. At the end of January, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation launched our new AI-powered financial due diligence tool, Grant Guardian. In this new blog post, our Products and Services team shares how we embedded social responsibility principles — such as human-centeredness, transparency, data privacy, and bias mitigation — throughout the design, development, and deployment of the product. Read the blog here: https://loom.ly/y7PFL_U #GenAI #ResponsibleAI #Fairness #Bias #HumanCenteredAI #ProductDevelopment Jacqueline Watts Hazem Mahmoud Nick Cain

“AI has the potential to bridge learning gaps, but only if it is intentionally designed to expand access rather than reinforce exclusion.” In the latest feature of our “Humans of AI for Humanity” series, Fast Forward interviewed Lauren Lichtman and Navya Akkinepally – two of the three co-executive directors of PJMF partner Learning Equality – to learn more about the transformative potential of AI for education equity around the world. In addition to their offline-first curriculum design platform, Kolibri, the two are exploring new pathways for AI tools to improve learning pathways for teachers and students in under-resourced schools. Their approach prioritizes five core values – equity, constant learning, community building, openness, and above all, empathy. Check out the full interview here: https://loom.ly/jOzKalw #TechForGood #AI

We need proper safeguards in place to build public trust in AI. As AI systems grow in autonomy, PJMF partner Institute for Security and Technology (IST) is advancing responsible innovation by assessing both risks and opportunities presented by emerging AI foundation models. Technology is integrating into the infrastructure of our society - from healthcare systems to financial institutions, and transportation networks to national security - and IST's research serves as a navigation tool for policymakers and industry leaders alike as they implement safety measures for users. By creating industry practices that prioritize safety over speed, we can expand progress far beyond the AI sector itself - ensuring that development continues to be rooted in humanity as the tech landscape transforms. Learn more about this partnership here: https://loom.ly/HtTdM-0 #TechForGood #AI

🚨 Tomorrow’s the day! 🚨 Don’t miss “Funding AI Innovation” at the Microsoft Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit: a deep dive into funding AI innovation for nonprofits with Nick Cain (The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation) and Michele Lawrence Jawando (Omidyar Network). 📅 Date: Wednesday, March 26, 3:30-4:00 PM PT/6:30-7:00 PM ET 🎥 Join the virtual broadcast: aka.ms/nonprofitsummit (code: DIGITAL) Get ready for expert insights, actionable strategies, and a look at the future of nonprofit funding. See you there!

This Women’s History Month, we celebrate the incredible women whose leadership we see in action every day at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. From driving initiatives that empower communities, to advancing equitable solutions for all, women leaders throughout tech and philanthropic sectors are demonstrating how inclusive innovation has a global impact. Their work underscores that shared participation is the pathway to societal progress. To every creative, brilliant, and empowering woman in our field: your strategic vision, technical expertise, and commitment to human-centered solutions demonstrates that when women lead in social impact spaces, we all move closer to realizing the full potential of innovation for social good. #WomensHistoryMonth #TechForGood #AI

Weekend Listening: NPR Podcast on AI and our shared future - https://lnkd.in/eMSaDxwC Regulation vs. private innovation in AI is a false - and distracting - choice. The right question: Who gets to decide what AI is built for and who it serves? On NPR 1A with the brilliant Jennifer White, we challenged a common narrative that pits government against industry to expand the space of our public discourse.  Right now, AI systems are designed by people who will never use them to solve problems they've never experienced. The Kenyan farmer's needs never reach the Silicon Valley engineer. It's unfair - but just as important - very inefficient. So what if we flipped the model? Instead of asking how to control AI built elsewhere, let's define new strategies so communities can build AI for themselves. This is a practical argument: local solutions consistently outperform imported ones because they address real needs using local insights. With philanthropic capital, transformation of educational institutions, and creating new spaces of innovative entrepreneurship, we could realize a different - and better - version of our collective future. Listen to our full conversation and tell me: What would your community build if given the right tools? #AI #Innovation #Governance #FutureOfAI #NPR1A Mathilde Barge Mary Rodriguez, MBA The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation

🚀 Join us next week at the Microsoft Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit on March 26-27 for an inspiring mainstage session! 🎙️ “Funding AI Innovation” will feature PJMF’s VP of Strategy and Innovation, Nick Cain, alongside Michele Lawrence Jawando from the Omidyar Network for a thought-provoking discussion on funding AI innovation and solutions. This conversation is open to everyone via the virtual broadcast - register at aka.ms/nonprofitsummit with code DIGITAL. 💡 What’s in store? Nick and Michele will explore the evolving funding landscape for AI-driven solutions in the nonprofit sector. They’ll share insights, strategies, and real-world advice to help organizations secure resources, align with donor priorities, and craft compelling proposals that drive impact. Join us online: aka.ms/nonprofitsummit with code DIGITAL. #TechForGood #AI Microsoft AI Skills Microsoft for Nonprofits Kate Behncken Naria Santa Lucia

Silicon Valley created AI's power. Our communities will give it purpose for humanity's benefit. At The World Bank Global Digital Summit this week, I asked a simple question: Why should a Kenyan farmer rely on an AI model trained on Global North data to predict drought patterns unique to their land? They shouldn't. They deserve tools designed to reflect local reality and local dignity. There’s a story emerging that AI flows in one direction: from a handful of tech hubs outward. It's a profound missed opportunity. The most powerful AI solutions - the ones that will change billions of lives - don't come from universal models, but from focused ones built by, and for, the communities they serve. One real world example: When clinicians in rural Brazil tried applying U.S.-trained breast cancer detection models, they discovered a critical gap. These models weren't calibrated for local medical equipment, clinical workflows, or the distinct presentation patterns in their patient population. The local team had to rebuild from scratch, creating systems tailored to their reality. Their success demonstrates why we need AI built within the contexts it serves, not imported as a finished product. To learn more about this work, see https://lnkd.in/edV-k8Nn Across the globe, developers are creating specialized models that outperform much larger systems because they understand local languages, cultures, and challenges. Yet high-level AI policy conversations sometimes treat these regions as consumers rather than creators. In a conversation moderated by Dr. Rumman Chowdhury (CEO, HumaneIntelligence), I built on this vision alongside Amal EL FALLAH - SEGHROUCHNI (Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Morocco), Cina Lawson (Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation, Togo), @David Leslie (Director of Ethics and Responsible Innovation Research, The Alan Turing Institute), and Kate Kallot (CEO, Amini). We need both local AI development and global cooperation. Not every country needs to build foundation models, but every country needs the capacity to shape AI for their unique challenges. We know AI is transforming society - but will this transformation reflect the full spectrum of human experience or just a narrow slice of it? #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #DigitalSovereignty #AIforGood #TechForGood #GlobalAI #AIInnovation #AIgovernance #PublicInterestTech Johan Bjurman Bergman Sharmista Appaya Mathilde Barge Mary Rodriguez, MBA Amandeep Gill Arturo Franco Vivek Sharma

Over the last two years, with the support of The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, IST has been on a mission to assess the risks and opportunities associated with the development and deployment of cutting-edge AI foundation models. IST is again excited to announce renewed support from PJMF to further advance this vital work. "It’s our collective responsibility to ensure AI advances human potential as systems evolve in autonomy,” PJMF president Vilas Dhar said. “As highly advanced AI foundation models become more integrated into critical aspects of society–from healthcare and finance to transportation and national security–IST’s work will guide policymakers and industry in navigating the transformative potential of AI,” IST CEO Philip Reiner said. 🧠 Read the announcement: https://lnkd.in/gra6-Ent 🧠 Learn more about the AI Risk Reduction Initiative: https://lnkd.in/gxMayf-9

According to Shaomei Wu, “The people who have been left out of tech often have the best insights for making products that are equitable and empowering for everyone.” The founder and CEO of AImpower.org highlights her own experience as a person who stutters and as an immigrant woman in tech as the motivation for her work – to build more inclusive AI in partnership with communities with disabilities. In the latest PJMF partner spotlight, Wu shares insights with Yolanda Botti-Lodovico on pathways to “grassroots AI” that respects and celebrates the full spectrum of the human experience. It’s not enough to just create accessible and adaptive technologies. We need to recognize the unique gifts and expertise of people with disabilities and empower all marginalized people to participate in our AI ecosystem as creators and decision-makers. Read more about AImpower’s work here: https://loom.ly/CK4WRU4 #TechForGood #AI AImpower.org Nick Cain