The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation recently announced that it would be increasing investment to $40 million for artificial intelligence and data science initiatives intended for “public good”. This endowment amounts to roughly double from the previous year, highlighting the foundation’s commitment to promoting digital technologies that benefit future generations.
The funding is specifically aimed at nonprofits and non-governmental organizations that are working toward environmental protection, economic prosperity, creating youth-centric tech education opportunities, as well as promoting a more inclusive,equitable tech workforce.
“We sit at the frontier of the digital age with a set of choices about the future of these powerful tools,” commented foundation president Vilas Dhar. “Will it be a future where control remains in the hands of a few to benefit the elite? Or a future where we all participate in the co-creation of AI and data that solves our greatest global challenges and makes our individual lives better?”
This spring, the foundation will be launching a new Data and AI consultancy for nonprofits using an in-house team of tech experts. Organizations will be able to work with specialists to ensure their projects are ethical in nature, and promote the foundation’s core principle of benefiting everyone. The foundation has also announced new collaborative relationships within academia, such as Oxford University, MIT, and the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. These partnerships are aimed to support young technologists, and provide them with the knowledge and resources to develop ethical AI programs and data solutions.
Edited by
Maurice Nagle
