Giving Compass' Take:

• UN Global Pulse is a lab that works to leverage big data to improve humanitarian development and action. In Uganda, the UN is using Pulse Lab Kampala to apply AI technology to radio broadcasts to understand more about the needs of citizens. 

• How can donors support tech projects in humanitarian development? What are other successful initiatives that utilize tech in this field?

• Read about how some philanthropists are analyzing the potential technology in the development sector.

Those words come from an actual radio broadcast following a flood in the small Ugandan town of Jinja, on the shores of Lake Victoria. More than half of Ugandan households rely on radio as their primary source of information, and as many as 25,000 Ugandans call into local programs on hundreds of radio stations around the country every day.

But now in Uganda, the United Nations is partnering with policymakers, academics, and local staffers to apply cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology to radio broadcasts to gain greater insight into how to better serve citizens, especially those who might not have access to more modern technology.

While UN and government programs gather qualitative data, it is often difficult to collect it from remote areas, especially where local dialects are spoken. Anecdotes and opinions shared on local radio stations can be turned into useful data that can inform development projects and legislation.

But how can radio conversations be turned into data? Enter Pulse Lab Kampala, the Ugandan branch of UN Global Pulse, that works to leverage big data to improve humanitarian and development action. Pulse Lab Kampala works with partners from different sectors and across UN agencies to support, collaborate, and deliver the best solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Pulse Lab Kampala’s automated speech recognition tool uses AI technology to pull recordings of radio conversations around set themes, such as health care, refugees, or local disasters and translates the discussions into English.

These highlighted clips are then listened to by experts who flag relevant information and enter it into a database. From that database, local governments or the UN can gather insights that help inform lifesaving policy decisions, such as where aid is needed.

Read the full article about Global Pulse using AI by Anne Rosenthal at United Nations Foundation.