Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) have demonstrated promise for addressing some of society’s most complex challenges, ranging from enabling early diagnosis and treatment of cancer and forecasting wildfire paths to reducing carbon emissions through environmental monitoring and improving student learning outcomes. Yet, the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence also have potential for considerable harm: the displacement of entry-level workers, impacts of AI chatbots on mental health, environmental harms of data centers, proliferation of mis- and disinformation, online safety and privacy concerns, increased surveillance in vulnerable communities, and more.

The power in defining AI’s impact on our future is currently consolidated among only a select few, allowing them to exercise an outsized influence in shaping the future of AI. This year, big tech has invested $325B in AI infrastructure, $149B in venture capital funding has been invested in AI startups, and hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on lobbying efforts at the state and federal levels to oppose efforts at AI regulation. Meanwhile, broad swaths of society are excluded from the process of designing AI solutions, contributing to debates on ethical deployment, advocating for responsible legislation, and benefitting economically from its success.

As AI continues to evolve and become ubiquitous in our daily lives, these innovations will need to be designed, developed, and deployed in ways that center humans, incorporate prosocial values, and do not cause irreparable harm across our communities. For this vision of responsible AI to become a reality, we must identify an affirmative vision for AI that includes specific opportunities for its transformational use, while ensuring we are simultaneously addressing potential risks and harms to both individuals and society.

This is why now, more than ever, the philanthropic sector has an opportunity to be a strong leading voice, articulating a vision for civil society, and making strategic investments in initiatives that build a more equitable AI future. Yet, the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)’s recent report “AI With Purpose” highlights the current gap in our sector. Only 10 percent of foundations report supporting grantees on AI implementation, with only half of that number specifically focusing on ethical AI. Few foundations and the nonprofits they support indicate having a solid understanding of AI and its applications in their field, and 85 percent of nonprofits report not currently engaging in efforts to advance equitable AI.

Read the full article about building a just AI future by Allison Scott at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.