logo
AI models aren't made equal. Some nonprofits are creating their own tools instead.

AI models aren't made equal. Some nonprofits are creating their own tools instead.

As millions of young people worldwide increasingly rely on AI chatbots to acquire knowledge as part of their learning — and even complete assignments for them — one organization is concerned that those in developing countries without access to the tech could be put at an unfair disadvantage.
And it's using the very technology it believes is causing this problem to fix it.
Education Above All, a nonprofit based in Qatar, believes that because most of the world's popular AI chatbots are created in Silicon Valley, they aren't equipped to understand the linguistic and ethnic nuances of non-English-speaking countries, creating education inequities on a global scale. But its team sees AI as a way to tackle this problem.
In January 2025, the charity teamed up with MIT, Harvard, and the United Nations Development Programme to introduce a free and open-source AI literacy program called Digi-Wise. Delivered in partnership with educators in the developing world, it encourages children to spot AI-fueled misinformation, use AI tools responsibly in the classroom, and even develop their own AI tools from scratch.
As part of this, the charity has developed its own generative AI chatbot called Ferby. It allows users to access and personalize educational resources from the Internet-Free Education Resource Bank, an online library containing hundreds of free and open-source learning materials.
Education Above All said it's already being used by over 5 million Indian children to access "project-based learning" in partnership with Indian nonprofit Mantra4Change. More recently, Education Above All has embedded Ferby into edtech platform SwiftChat, which is used by 124 million students and teachers across India.
"Ferby curates, customizes, and creates learning materials to fit local realities, so a teacher in rural Malawi can run the right science experiment as easily as a teacher in downtown Doha," said Aishwarya Shetty, an education specialist at Education Above All. "By marrying offline ingenuity with AI convenience, we make learning local, low-resource, and always within reach, yet at scale."
Education Above All is among a group of organizations using AI to tackle global inequality and work toward realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Created in 2015, the UN SDGs comprise 17 social, economic, and environmental targets that serve as guidelines for nations, businesses, and individuals to follow to help achieve a more peaceful and prosperous world. Education Above All's projects fall under SDG 4: inclusive and equitable education.
A global effort
A range of other organizations are using AI to augment and enhance their education programming.
Tech To The Rescue, a global nonprofit that connects charities with pro-bono software development teams to meet their goals, is another organization using AI in support of the UN SDGs. Last year, it launched a three-year AI-for-good accelerator program to help NGOs meet the various UN SDGs using AI.
One organization to benefit from the program is Mercy Corps, a humanitarian group that works across over 40 countries to tackle crises like poverty, the climate crisis, natural disasters, and violence. Through the accelerator, it created an AI strategy tool that helps first responders predict disasters and coordinate resources. The World Institute on Disability AI also participated in the accelerator program, creating a resource-matching system that helps organizations allocate support to people with disabilities in hours rather than weeks.
Similarly, the International Telecommunication Union — the United Nations' digital technology agency, and one of its oldest arms — is supporting organizations using technology to achieve the UN SDGs through its AI for Good Innovation Factory startup competition. For example, an Indian applicant — a startup called Bioniks — has enabled a teenager to reclaim the ability to do simple tasks like writing and getting dressed through the use of AI-powered prosthetics.
Challenges to consider
While AI may prove to be a powerful tool for achieving the UN SDGs, it comes with notable risks. Again, as AI models are largely developed by American tech giants in an industry already constrained by gender and racial inequality, unconscious bias is a major flaw of AI systems.
To address this, Shetty said layered prompts for non-English users, human review of underlying AI datasets, and the creation of indigenous chatbots are paramount to achieving Education Above All's goals.
AI models are also power-intensive, making them largely inaccessible to the populations of developing countries. That's why Shetty urges AI companies to provide their solutions via less tech-heavy methods, like SMS, and to offer offline features so users can still access AI resources when their internet connections drop. Open-source, free-of-charge subscriptions can help, too, she added.
AI as a source for good
Challenges aside, Shetty is confident that AI can be a force for good over the next few years, particularly around education. She told BI, "We are truly energized by how the global education community is leveraging AI in education: WhatsApp-based math tutors reaching off-grid learners; algorithms that optimize teacher deployment in shortage areas; personalized content engines that democratize education; chatbots that offer psychosocial support in crisis zones and more."
But Shetty is clear that AI should augment, rather than displace, human educators. And she said the technology should only be used if it can solve challenges faced by humans and add genuine value.
"Simply put," she said, "let machines handle the scale, let humans handle the soul, with or without AI tools."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hulk Hogan Dead At 71: Wrestler Died After 'Cardiac Arrest' Call
Hulk Hogan Dead At 71: Wrestler Died After 'Cardiac Arrest' Call

Newsweek

time2 hours ago

  • Newsweek

Hulk Hogan Dead At 71: Wrestler Died After 'Cardiac Arrest' Call

Hannah Parry is a Newsweek Live Blog Editor based in New York. Her focus is reporting on U.S. politics and society. She has covered politics, tech and crime extensively. Hannah joined Newsweek in 2024 and previously worked as an assistant editor at The U.S. Sun and as a senior reporter and assistant news editor at The Daily Mail. She is a graduate of the University of Nottingham. You can get in touch with Hannah by emailing Languages: English.

What happens when creative + advertising collide with CRM, automation, and AI?
What happens when creative + advertising collide with CRM, automation, and AI?

Business Journals

time4 hours ago

  • Business Journals

What happens when creative + advertising collide with CRM, automation, and AI?

What happens when creative + advertising collide with CRM, automation, and AI? Short answer: Revenue Operations magic. We just dropped a new blog post that pulls back the curtain on one of our most successful RevOps client stories—where smart strategy, creative execution, and cutting-edge automation all came together to drive real results. If you're still wondering 'What the hell is RevOps?' — you're not alone. That's exactly why we recorded a short video discussion to break it down. We talk about what RevOps really means (in plain English), why it's a game-changer for sales and marketing teams, and how it unlocked major ROI for one of our clients. If you're a founder, CMO, or revenue leader, this one's worth a few minutes of your time.

EPACK Durable signs joint venture with Korea's Bumjin Electronics to manufacture TV and smart speakers in India
EPACK Durable signs joint venture with Korea's Bumjin Electronics to manufacture TV and smart speakers in India

Business Upturn

time5 hours ago

  • Business Upturn

EPACK Durable signs joint venture with Korea's Bumjin Electronics to manufacture TV and smart speakers in India

By Aditya Bhagchandani Published on July 24, 2025, 17:26 IST EPACK Durable Limited has entered into a strategic joint venture agreement with Bumjin Electronics Co. Limited, a company based in the Republic of Korea, to manufacture and sell a range of advanced audio products including television speakers, soundbars, AI speakers, Bluetooth speakers, and smart speakers. As per the agreement executed on July 24, 2025, EPACK Durable will hold a 66.67% stake in the joint venture company (JV Co.), while Bumjin will own the remaining 33.33%. The JV is initially focused on the Indian market with potential for international expansion. The new entity will have an initial authorised share capital of Rs 14 crore, with 1.4 crore equity shares of Rs 10 each. The business aims to cater to both online and offline sales channels, including e-commerce platforms, while leveraging both companies' strengths. Key operational appointments include the business head being nominated by EPACK, the technical head by Bumjin, and the finance head jointly selected. The JV is expected to support import substitution, boost domestic value addition, and allow technology transfer, making it a strategic move in India's growing smart electronics and home entertainment ecosystem. This partnership aligns with EPACK's expansion plans in electronics manufacturing and is expected to enhance its product portfolio and brand visibility in the consumer electronics segment. Upon investment, the JV Co. will become a subsidiary of EPACK Durable. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aditya Bhagchandani serves as the Senior Editor and Writer at Business Upturn, where he leads coverage across the Business, Finance, Corporate, and Stock Market segments. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, he not only contributes insightful articles but also oversees editorial direction for the reporting team.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store