Primary Text"Even as we work to limit the potential for emerging technologies to do harm, we also need to maximize their extraordinary potential to do good, and help to take on some of the world's greatest challenges."
- USAID Administrator Samantha Power
Launched on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly Leaders Meeting by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the AI in Global Development Playbook and the Global AI Research Agenda are two key deliverables mandated by President Biden's Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (E.O. 14110). These complementary deliverables provide a comprehensive approach to the design, deployment, and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals and guiding future research on AI.
What is the AI in Global Development Playbook?
When used effectively and responsibly, AI holds the potential to accelerate progress on sustainable development and close digital divides, but it also poses risks that could further impede progress toward these goals. With the right enabling environment and ecosystem of actors, AI can enhance efficiency and accelerate development outcomes in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and delivering public services. The United States aims to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared equitably across the globe.
Distilled from consultations with hundreds of government officials, non-governmental organizations, technology firms and startups, and individuals from around the world, the AI in Global Development Playbook is a roadmap to develop the capacity, ecosystems, frameworks, partnerships, applications, and institutions to leverage safe, secure, and trustworthy AI for sustainable development.
The United States' current efforts are grounded in the belief that AI, when developed and deployed responsibly, can be a powerful force for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and addressing some of the world's most urgent challenges. Looking ahead, the United States will continue to support low- and middle-income countries through funding, advocacy, and convening efforts--collectively navigating the complexities of the digital age and working toward a future in which the benefits of technological development are widely shared.
This Playbook seeks to underscore AI as a uniquely global opportunity with far-reaching impacts and potential risks. It highlights that safe, secure, and trustworthy design, deployment, and use of AI is not only possible but essential. Recognizing that international cooperation and multi-stakeholder partnerships are key in achieving progress, we invite others to contribute their expertise, resources, and perspectives to enrich and expand this framework.
The true measure of progress in responsible AI is not in the sophistication of our machines but in the quality of life the technology enhances. Together we can work toward ensuring the promise of AI is realized in service of this goal.
Read the AI in Global Development Playbook.
Key Themes
Enhancing Capacity, Promoting AI-Related Skills Across AI Sectors and Levels, and Protecting the Workforce
Building Trusted and Sustainable Digital Infrastructure
Broadening Access to Data Storage and Compute Resources
Creating Representative, Locally Relevant Datasets and Preserving Cultural Heritage
Developing Strategies to Deliver the Promise of AI in Practice
Advancing Good Governance Frameworks for the Development and Use of Safe and Rights-Respecting AI Systems
Fostering Trust in AI through Openness, Transparency, and Explainability
Deploying AI Sustainably and for Climate Action
Who is involved?
Governing AI and ensuring its safe, secure, responsible, and rights-respecting use is a whole-of-society issue. The Global AI Research Agenda and AI in Global Development Playbook documents reflect input and expertise from many stakeholders across the private sector, civil society, and international borders.
The AI in Global Development Playbook was a collaborative effort between the United States Agency for International Development and the U.S. Department of State with the support and collaboration of a wide variety of interagency partners including the Executive Office of the President; the U.S. Department of Commerce, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office; the U.S. Department of Energy; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Thank you to the dozens of reviewers who provided critical feedback and edits to the AI in Global Development Playbook, the organizations that submitted written feedback in response to the Request for Information, and those who attended virtual consultation sessions to provide verbal feedback.
The Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of AI
The AI in Global Development Playbook is published pursuant to Section 11(c)(i) of the U.S. Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. The Executive Order outlines a whole-of-government strategy, promoting global practices through multilateral fora, strengthening partnerships to address shared AI challenges, and supporting global capacity building. The Executive Order states: "The Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the director of NIST, shall publish an AI in Global Development Playbook that incorporates the AI Risk Management Framework's principles, guidelines, and best practices into the social, technical, economic, governance, human rights, and security conditions of contexts beyond United States borders. As part of this work, the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall draw on lessons learned from programmatic uses of AI in global development."
Complementary to the AI in Global Development Playbook, the Global AI Research Agenda, pursuant to Section 11(c)(ii) of the U.S. Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, is an effort "to guide the objectives and implementation of AI-related research in contexts beyond United States borders."
To learn more about USAID's AI work, please visit usaid.gov/ai