ABSTRACT
Artificial intelligence (AI) and philanthropy are two ecosystems that have spontaneously interacted for decades. This interaction, however, has been steered by a select group of influential philanthropic actors, mainly linked to the digital and tech sectors. Given the technical complexities and the fast pace of AI advancements, most non-involved philanthropic actors find it extremely difficult to start interacting with AI. To remove some of the barriers impeding a fruitful interaction between AI and philanthropy, this Handbook proposes a first-of-its-kind, multidisciplinary, academic contribution, aiming to facilitate philanthropic actors’ involvement in AI implementation, development, and use, while also broadening awareness and knowledge of the potential positive impact of AI on the philanthropic sector. In this Handbook, AI is broadly defined as the branch of computer science dedicated to developing tools to enable machines to perform tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence or skill. With the development of quick and efficient ways to share information (e.g., the internet) and the exponential growth in computational resources, the past decades have seen AI becoming increasingly ubiquitous in our societies, influencing our social, professional, and personal lives (Sheikh, 2021). While previous technological revolutions have, arguably, had similar impacts on human societies and the environment, what is unprecedented in the case of AI is not only the pace at which the change is happening but also the potential to replace or even outperform human skill in ways never seen before (Gill, 2017). Very few sectors, if any, have not been impacted by the rapid development of AI technologies. Appropriate incentives, strategies, and tools to ensure that this technology is developed, regulated, and used responsibly to benefit society are urgently needed. At present, while it is undeniable that AI is contributing to fostering humans’ well-being, removing barriers to collaboration, and augmenting the efficiency of our work, the forces that have shaped AI’s development and use have also exacerbated current profound societal issues such as bias perseverance, widening economic inequalities, and increased exclusion of the most vulnerable. As we reach the cusp between one of the latest AI hype waves and approach what some call an AI winter (Floridi, 2020), it is now an ideal time to empower the increased presence of an actor capable of steering AI’s future development and use in alignment with the wider interests of humanity: philanthropy.
