January 24, 2023 “It Is Not a Panacea.” A Conversation About Philanthropy With ChatGPT January 24, 2023/ Mike Scutari AI can now write fairly convincingly on any topic a human throws at it, including philanthropy. So we naturally checked in with OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT to see if it could provide us with some hot takes on the state of the field.Read More
April 13, 2022 How Smart Tech Can Help Democratize Philanthropy April 13, 2022/ Allison Fine and Beth Kanter, Guest Contributors New tech often underdelivers in the nonprofit world, but the next wave of AI-related tools has the potential to make philanthropy smarter and even more democratic, according to the authors of a new book on the topic. Read More
August 11, 2020 How AI Could Change the Way Donors Give and Nonprofits Fundraise August 11, 2020/ Allen Irish Artificial intelligence is being deployed in every sector, including charitable giving. We look at the potential benefits and dangers unfolding in real-world fundraising and giving practices, starting with a new report backed by Gates.Read More
July 16, 2020 Backed by Tech Companies, a New Funder Pursues AI Solutions for COVID-19 July 16, 2020/ Paul Karon Led by C3.ai, a maker of artificial intelligence software, the Digital Transformation Institute is moving millions in grants for the development of AI solutions in pandemic research.Read More
November 13, 2019 Looking to Impact “Real Lives,” a Tech Billionaire Makes a Big Campus Gift for AI November 13, 2019/ Mike Scutari A hot trend in higher ed philanthropy right now focuses on using artificial intelligence to revolutionize health care. A major gift out of Indiana finds a Silicon Valley innovator kickstarting his alma mater’s research in this emerging area. Read More
September 09, 2019 A Smarter Money Chase? How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Fundraising September 09, 2019/ Elisa Shoenberger Artificial intelligence is disrupting many industries throughout the U.S. and the world. Now, these technologies may—or may not—bring big changes to fundraising as machine learning is harnessed to development tasks. Read More
March 29, 2019 As Millions Flow for Campus Research on Health and AI, What Might Be Some Downsides? March 29, 2019/ Mike Scutari The latest installment in the higher ed artificial intelligence gold rush finds a corporate funder backing new research on health and AI. Other campus donors will likely follow, even as some experts warn that this new technology could exacerbate health inequities. Read More
March 20, 2019 Important But Neglected: Why an Effective Altruist Funder Is Giving Millions to AI Security March 20, 2019/ Tate Williams Open Philanthropy Project’s unique approach has led it to animal welfare, global health and curbing the risks of artificial intelligence—most recently with a $55 million grant for research and policy analysis on AI. What’s the thinking behind this big investment?Read More
January 08, 2019 Dept. of Disruption: Can Philanthropy-Backed Oversight Keep Up With the AI Boom? January 08, 2019/ Mike Scutari Another huge campus gift for artificial intelligence research leaves us wondering: Can donors concerned about the ethical, social and humanitarian consequences of the AI revolution keep pace with rapid technological change and the forces of private enterprise?Read More
October 23, 2018 For a University and a Top Billionaire Donor, a Huge Bet on Artificial Intelligence October 23, 2018/ Tate Williams MIT is making its largest structural change since the 1950s, fueled in part by a historic gift from Stephen Schwarzman of $350 million. The campaign underscores a number of trends in academia and philanthropy amid a surge of interest in AI. Read More
March 05, 2018 What's Behind Paul Allen's Big New Give for Artificial Intelligence? March 05, 2018/ Tate Williams While a number of philanthropists have fixated on the dangers of AI, Paul Allen is focused on its potential and just gave another $125 million for research. What's he thinking? Read More
September 12, 2017 Big Names, Big Funding: Why Are MIT and IBM Joining Forces on AI Research? September 12, 2017/ Tate Williams It's one of the largest industry-academic partnerships in history and raises some real ethical concerns. But what do both parties get out of a $240 million deal for collaborative AI research?Read More
July 12, 2017 Don't Let the Robots Rule: Millions Flow to Steer AI in the Right Direction July 12, 2017/ Tate Williams Artificial intelligence has emerged as a hot issue in philanthropy, with an eye on keeping the rapidly expanding technology in check. Here's where a new fund is sending its grant money. Read More
January 13, 2017 As Concern Grows, Another Philanthropy-Backed AI Watchdog Launches January 13, 2017/ Tate Williams Donor interest in ensuring responsible artificial intelligence has been mounting over the past year, with the latest $27 million effort bringing in some major new players.Read More
November 28, 2016 Google Is Stepping Up Its Giving for Artificial Intelligence. Here's a Closer Look November 28, 2016/ Tate Williams One of many corporations hungry for talent in AI research, Google is cozying up to academics and just made a big new round of faculty grants. Read More
November 04, 2016 U.K. Research Funder is Latest AI Watchdog With Launch of a New Center November 04, 2016/ Tate Williams Yet another funder has jumped in to back research on the ethics and risks of advanced artificial intelligence, joining some prominent Silicon Valley donors in championing the causeRead More