Venturing into AI and Data Science

As AI rapidly integrates into our daily lives, here are some insights and use cases of the technology to improve critical services

UNICEF Venture Fund

29 June 2023

“I remember when the Internet started, it was around for quite a long time; but when Internet Explorer came, that’s when everybody noticed. ChatGPT is that Internet explorer moment, making AI accessible and tangible for everybody.” — Thomas Anglero, tech and innovation author and speaker at this event’s fireside chat on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

In just a few months, ChatGPT has spurred the rapid, commercial growth of AI tools – and a louder cry for internet safety, job security, combating biases and discrimination, and other concerns of the risks of AI.

In 2021, the UNICEF Venture Fund (the Fund) saw the potential of the then-emerging technology to positively impact learning, health, and psycho-social support opportunities. It then launched a call for applications for startups developing Open Source, AI and machine learning solutions that accelerate learning outcomes, generate data to forecast health and health care needs, and provide access to online services at lower costs, even with low connectivity settings.

And, with children and their families turning more to digital solutions, they find a world of opportunity that may also increase children’s exposure to online risks and harms. The same technologies must be explored to efficiently prevent and respond to the threats of this new online environment for children.

In response to the increased threats online, and in partnership with the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, the Venture Fund invested in two new startups developing Open Source, AI-powered solutions to address digital risks to children. The Fund invested in 11 solutions through two cohorts – Child Online Safety and AI and Data Science-driven systems solutions. These startups have spent the last 12-18 months building, testing, and validating their solutions.

As the startups complete their investment period with notable results in improving services for children and their communities, UNICEF reiterates its call for frontier tech to become tech for good.

As the startups complete their investment period with notable results in improving services for children and their communities, such as enabling access to improved healthcare for 6107 users, UNICEF reiterates its call for frontier tech to become tech for good.

In the June 2023 Venturing into AI and Data Science: Safe Solutions for Health, Education, and Climate event, the work of these startups was presented alongside timely discussions of the opportunities and challenges of AI with renowned experts in the space. These conversations, moderated by Startups Without Borders founder Valentina Primo, featured Thomas Anglero, Nordic Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Cognizant, and Jon Krohn, Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist, Nebula.io and host of leading data science podcast, SuperDataScience.

The event kicked off with Thomas Anglero sharing his vision beyond this “Internet Explorer” moment of AI and the immense opportunity for the technology to better our world.

“AI is not hype. It’s embedded... it’s here to stay. And our kids, your kids... will grow up ONLY knowing these technologies. The opportunities to improve our lives, to improve health care, mental health, are immense – so think BIG,” said Anglero.

Anglero’s remarks were followed by presentations by six startups working to strengthen safety for children online and improve access to education. Since the beginning of the investment period, 2M+ youth have been provided with additional skills to support social, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Additionally, 184,715 users have had improved access to educational tools.

After hearing use cases of how AI has a huge opportunity for good, Jon Krohn expressed how AI’s technological pace and progress can play a critical role in solving challenges facing people.

“Artificial intelligence is poised to dramatically accelerate technological progress... the tremendous pace has a huge amount of opportunity for good. It can play a critical role to combat climate change, like automating efficient allocation of energy; can help in increasing crop yields; and has changed the healthcare game.”

However, Krohn cautioned that the unprecedented speed of AI also leads to risks like “AI-driven news feeds or bias in training AI models that reinforce stereotypes.”

“AI’s risks can be mitigated. Push vendors to have guardrails on their models. Fund retraining programs for people whose way of earning is jeopardized by AI. The most impactful career today is in AI safety... we could see a way of life that is exceptionally abundant and positive, across security, nutrition, extended life spans, having a sense of community and prosperity... there is unlimited possibility, so innovators trying impact the world have the capacity to shape this enormous impact,” said Krohn.

The 11 startups, all from emerging markets and all leveraging data science and AI in their solutions, are well on their way to solving real-world problems and ensuring children can be safe online. We welcome collaborators from all backgrounds to support these teams toward unlocking the potential of AI to change lives.

An overview of the startups and opportunities for engagement are presented below.