Seminar: P. Anandan, Translating AI Innovations into Solutions in the Global South
Content
Speaker
Title
Translating AI Innovations into Solutions in the Global South
Abstract
According to Kentaro Toyama, technology predominantly acts as an
amplifier of human effort and the strength of institutions. In this
presentation, I will share examples from India and other developing nations that demonstrate how AI-powered solutions are being designed, implemented, and scaled to improve people's lives, in manner consistent with Kentaro’s observation.
Each project narrative will explore how specific problems were selected, the significant constraints and opportunities encountered during the design and development phases, and the approaches taken for implementation. The discussion will also address the challenges and possibilities associated with scaling these solutions.
A central lesson from these experiences is the necessity for what I call “radical collaboration.” This involves bringing together a diverse group of contributors—technology specialists, implementing organizations, subject matter experts, donors, and government agencies. Through these case studies, I will illustrate how such deep collaboration can turn AI-driven innovations into effective solutions for challenges in the developing world.
Bio
Padmanabhan Anandan is the ex-CEO of Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence, an independent not-for-profit Research institute focused on developing artificial intelligence based applications for socialgood. He was formerly vice president for research at Adobe Systems and prior to that a distinguished scientist and managing director of Microsoft Research. He was managing director at Microsoft Research India, which he founded in January 2005 in Bangalore. He joined Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington in 1997, where he founded and built the Interactive Visual Media group. He was also previously a professor of Computer Science at Yale University.
Pizza lunch will be available.