OpenAI recently wrapped up a comprehensive Nonprofit Jam that spanned four major cities in India: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, and New Delhi. This initiative aimed to bolster the integration of artificial intelligence in the country’s social sector. Over 200 nonprofit organizations participated in workshops designed to showcase the potential of AI in amplifying social impact, optimizing operations, and enhancing community service delivery.
According to a report by CNBC-TV18, Pragya Misra, who oversees strategy and government relations at OpenAI India, highlighted that nonprofits are leading the charge in AI adoption, despite often facing resource constraints. She mentioned that numerous organizations are already leveraging AI to provide services to thousands and, in some cases, lakhs of beneficiaries. The initiative aims to eliminate barriers to access and democratize AI tools.
The Nonprofit Jam was held in collaboration with Karya and Wadhwani AI, aiming to unite social enterprises in examining tangible applications of AI, from enhancing internal efficiencies to tackling extensive community issues.
One notable example presented during these workshops was Haqdarshak, a social enterprise co-founded by Aniket Doegar, which has dedicated over a decade to improving public access to government welfare schemes. With nearly 20,000 government programs in India, which frequently change due to budget adjustments, elections, and policy updates, both citizens and NGOs face significant challenges.
Doegar explained that between 2016 and 2020, it took his organization 4.5 years to compile a database of 7,000 schemes in 14 languages. However, with the aid of AI, updates can now be administered across all local languages within just 24 to 48 hours. Any alterations in eligibility criteria or documentation requirements can be instantly communicated to field agents.
AI is also facilitating the simplification of complex government documents by translating them from formal Hindi, Marathi, or English into everyday language. This process helps farm workers, gig workers, and construction laborers better understand and access the benefits to which they are entitled, eliminating confusion and delays.
Although the momentum for AI adoption is rapidly increasing, experts emphasize the necessity of local context and cultural nuances. Aditya Nayan, associate director of partnerships at Wadhwani AI, noted that while large language models like ChatGPT are powerful, contextualization is crucial for making a meaningful impact in the real world. He stated that fine-tuning models with local data helps build trust and ensures that outputs are relevant and applicable to diverse communities.
Misra remarked that the nonprofit sector in India is especially well-equipped to spearhead AI adoption. She observed that organizations are innovating rapidly to amplify their impact, reaching from thousands to potentially millions of beneficiaries, all while navigating budget constraints.
Doegar also pointed out that considerable work lies ahead, as a significant portion of India’s population has yet to effectively utilize AI. He stressed that social enterprises need to invest more in research and development to ensure that AI benefits those who need it the most.
