The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. State Department, in coordination with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have issued a Request for Information on the AI in Global Development Playbook. This Playbook is a key action in the Executive Order 14110 on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, published on October 30, 2023.
With the right enabling environment, ecosystem of market actors, and investments, AI technologies can foster greater efficiency and accelerated development results across a variety of sectors and contexts, whether in agriculture, health, education, energy, etc. Addressing the risks presented by AI technologies is essential to fully harnessing their benefits. Understanding these risks across a range of geographic and cultural contexts requires the expertise of local communities, the private sector, civil society, governments, and other stakeholders.
The AI in Global Development Playbook aims to characterize the risks and opportunities of AI in Global Majority countries, and will provide guidance for various stakeholders – organizations building, deploying, and using AI; private sector; governments; and others – to address those risks and leverage opportunities to drive AI applications for sustainable development. This RFI is an attempt to collect various research products, experiences, and perspectives that will inform the Playbook and speak to the unique risks and benefits of the use of AI technologies in Global Majority countries, including concrete examples of successes, hurdles, and roadblocks.
Comments on this RFI must be received on or before March 1, 2024. Further instructions on how to submit comments can be found on the Federal Register.