Advancing Human Development with Artificial Intelligence

Abstract The chapter presents experimental research conducted by UN Global Pulse to advance human development with innovation in Uganda. Up to 25,000 people voice their opinions and share testimonials and community reports on public radio every day in the country. The team developed a prototype based on Artificial Intelligence to transform a large and unstructured dataset into a small, rich structured one in near real time. The technology, based on Natural Language Processing (NLP) allowed filtering, extraction, and analysis of radio content in Luganda and Acholi, two vernacular languages of Uganda. Applied research conducted with partners over three years showed that public radio content analysis can support critical areas to advance human development in the country, namely: quality of public service delivery; societal behavioral change; and public sector accountability. It also revealed challenges on the ethical use of AI-based technology, concerning the protection of data privacy of the citizens behind the data.