AI's Quiet Revolution: AI for Social Good

Written by Mark James, lecturer at UCD Professional Academy

Geczy’s statement echoes the sentiments of every single major technological shift in history. From the industrial revolution to the information age, each transition brought its own set of dual outcomes - progress and confusion/loss. But we tend to focus on the positive part mostly in terms of business outcomes, and the negative part in terms of society. This is a mistake, as AI promises so much more social good, and I argue that it is delivering at a high rate beneath the surface. The problem is that most people don’t see these social benefits, mainly due to a mix of their subtle impact individually and the media's focus on Big AI.

We live in a society increasingly shaped by algorithms. AI has made our lives easier; our entertainment choices are personalised, our phones are smarter, and our focus is curated. These are big waves made by big tech, driven by consumer demand, and marketed to make a splash. But if we want to see AI's true value, we must look beneath the surface. The real promise of AI is in solving small societal challenges that bring big positive impacts in aggregate. Little AI projects tend to support clearly defined Social Good and are driven in part by a desire to make the world a little bit better. The democratisation of AI has made it easier than ever for individuals to make these small changes. But they add up and transform entire industry sectors. This article explores how AI is being used right now to make a positive impact in sectors such as finance, healthcare, education, and the environment.

Finance

The financial sector has been using AI in many guises for decades. It was the pioneer sector for Robotic Process Automation, which is basically software running software. But it’s only in the last few years that the use of AI in this sector has really brought clear social good. In early 2024, Microsoft released Copilot AI for Finance, bringing the full benefits of generative AI to people working in this sector.

One of the most significant social contributions of AI in finance has been in making it more inclusive. Chatbots make financial information easier to understand and work with as both an employee and consumer. The benefits of this have been particularly felt by consumers who might previously have fallen between the cracks. While AI can perpetuate biases, when properly designed, AI can also help identify and correct historical biases in financial decision-making processes, such as loan approvals.

Financial institutions can offer expanded services to segments of the population that were underserved or even “unbanked” by using non-traditional data sources. For instance, using smartphone usage patterns or transaction histories from non-financial platforms etc. to assess ability to repay. Or making the opening of savings accounts and accessing other services far easier for people who do not have access to traditional banking services for a variety of reasons. The volume and variety of data that AI can work with enables financial institutions to tailor financial advice and products to individual needs at a very granular level. Budgeting advice, investment suggestions, savings plans etc. can all be highly adapted to the user's financial behaviour, risk tolerance, and life goals. It’s a win/win – the financial institution brings in more business, and in doing so contributes to better financial health and stability for individuals.

Fraud is a major issue that AI doesn’t get enough credit for combating. AI works in the background monitoring billions of transactions in real-time, detecting and preventing consumers from being scammed. We simply could not operate safely as online citizens and consumers and without AI watching over us. AI can also help in identifying and addressing incongruities in billing (which seem to happen more to vulnerable segments of the population) or irregularities in account management, safeguarding consumer rights.

AI enables a broader range of entities to make better financial decisions and to grow sustainably. It democratises financial advice and management tools for small businesses by providing sophisticated financial insights and management tools through accessible platforms like Microsoft 365. By improving their ability to analyse and predict financial outcomes and risks, AI can help all kinds of companies to better manage their resources and plan their investments responsibly. This leads to more sustainable business practices and can help in addressing larger societal challenges such as economic inequality and environmental sustainability. AI-driven platforms are also streamlining the process of microloan distribution, which is so important for small business owners in developing communities and countries. AI makes microfinancing more accessible and sustainable by reducing overhead costs and improving risk assessment models.

Ultimately, by making financial services more accessible and affordable, AI can play a direct role in reducing economic disparities, supporting sustainable development through smarter funding and investment. But the true measure of AI's effectiveness in finance for social good will be its scalability and adaptability in supporting human problem-solving at the local level. So far, most signs are very promising.

Healthcare

Healthcare has long been a difficult sector for digital transformation. But this is starting to change rapidly. AI tools are now being used to help manage long-term conditions, from diabetes to heart disease, offering insights that doctors use to customise treatment plans. AI is playing a role in preventive care, and systems are being built to predict patient no-shows with high accuracy, allowing for timely rescheduling and optimising resource allocation. These advancements improve patient care and make the healthcare system more efficient.

For instance, IBM Research's SEURO project (Scaling EUROpean) is an EU funded Horizon 2020 project which specifically focuses on individuals who have multiple chronic conditions. The project’s AI-based tool, ProInsight, is designed to empower healthcare organisations in implementing digital health solutions. It provides comprehensive functionalities like risk assessment, impact evaluation, and even explainability features. With the help of advanced algorithms such as Functional Graphical Models and Graph Convolutional Networks, ProInsight enables predictive analysis. This targeted approach not only improves patient outcomes but also instils confidence in healthcare providers to adopt digital interventions.

Similarly, Spryt International is addressing the difficult and costly issue of patient no-shows in clinical oncology care through its AI receptionist named Asa. These no-shows not only lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment but also result in tremendous resource wastage. In Ireland alone, medical no-shows cost an estimated 210k euros per day. Asa utilises AI to predict no-shows and employs personalised language to encourage attendance. This seamless integration with existing practice management systems enhances healthcare efficiency and has the potential to save both time and lives.

Education

The Digital world offers immense learning opportunities but poses significant risks to children. Parents have become very worried about how they can protect their children considering the pace of change. Access to internet-enabled devices like smartphones and tablets has become the norm, and it is very difficult for parents to manage this, both in terms of initial access and monitoring. AI offers probably the only practical solution - it can now identify harmful content in real-time, even in encrypted messages, allowing for immediate intervention by parents and schools etc., reducing the risk of cyberbullying and other online dangers. 

AI is also impacting literacy. AI is being used to support education, freeing up teachers to focus on targeted instruction, and ensuring no child gets left behind. An example of this work is Cilter Technologies, a company that is addressing the rising issue of cyberbullying, grooming, and mental health in children. Unlike traditional parental control apps, Cilter's embedded software operates at the kernel-level of the operating system, making it tamper-proof. It not only detects and blocks harmful messages, including encrypted ones but also alerts parents to potential threats. With government partnerships and significant funding, Cilter aspires to protect 15 million children within five years.

SoapBox Labs is leveraging voice AI technology to tackle the global literacy crisis. Their systems offer an unbiased, accurate means of assessing a child's reading proficiency, even accounting for diverse accents and dialects. This objectivity enables teachers to better allocate their one-on-one instructional time. In collaboration with major educational platforms, SoapBox has already delivered over 80 million voice-enabled learning experiences and has recently secured funding from the Gates Foundation for development of learning supports for Spanish speaking students.

Environmental Sustainability

AI's impact on environmental sustainability is significant. Data analytics are helping marine biologists monitor seabed populations, leading to sustainable fishing quotas. On land, AI algorithms match employees to remote work hubs that minimise carbon footprints. This not only reduces urban congestion but also contributes to broader sustainability goals. Such applications demonstrate how AI can drive change in both policy and everyday practices.

For instance, Analytics Engines partnered with the Agri-Food and BioSciences Institute (AFBI) to develop a cutting-edge AI system for marine conservation. Using advanced AI for object detection and tracking, the system automatically monitors seabed populations of Dublin Bay Prawns. This not only streamlines what was once a difficult manual process but also provides more accurate and consistent data for setting sustainable fishing quotas.

And of course, the tools we use every day also deserve a mention for their impact for social good. Whether you use an iPhone or Android, your favourite Map tool is effectively reducing carbon footprints and urban congestion. They help reduce carbon footprint through route optimisation using real-time traffic data. They assist drivers to avoid stop-and-go traffic, with features such as eco-friendly driving mode that prioritises routes with fewer stops and less congestion. They also promote the use of less carbon-intensive modes of transport, such as buses, cycling, and walking, giving people a little nudge for situations where those are the logic best choice but would otherwise have not entered your mind.

Other Emerging Sectors

The sectors above are the high-profile ones that usually get the spotlight. But it’s important to also recognise the areas where AI is being used for social good in less obvious ways. 

For instance, noise pollution is an overlooked public health concern. AI can now identify the sources of noise pollution, leading to effective noise reduction policies. One example of this is Gemmo AI, a company that aims to tackle the issue of noise pollution in urban areas. Using AI, their API identifies noise sources and integrates seamlessly into existing systems. Gemmo's technology has already been successfully deployed with Sonitus Systems and is in use globally. This solution is versatile and can be applied to various sectors, from construction to aviation (which is a topical issue in recent weeks with night flights), providing a quieter and healthier environment and reducing health risks associated with noise pollution.

Furthermore, real-time translation tools enable spoken language accessibility for everyone, from non-native speakers to the deaf and mute community. These applications underscore the breadth of AI's social impact. For example, several companies are developing Sign Language translation apps that use AI to provide real-time translation of spoken language to sign language and vice versa. Collaborations with educational institutions and healthcare providers are key to the effectiveness and impact. If these tools can be made scalable and cost-effective, they will provide significant social good, helping to create a society where everyone can participate equally.

Conclusion

As a society, we should value AI based largely on its capacity for social impact, not just the entertainment capabilities or how sophisticated the tech demos are getting. The stories I've covered in this article are a very small segment of many fantastic applications of AI that are being developed for social good right now. AI is capable of creating a more equitable, healthy, and safe world. If you take nothing else away from this article, take this: Technology should ultimately be about elevating human potential. That is the true promise of AI, and it is increasingly within our grasp.

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