Artificial intelligence can help mission-driven organizations advance efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs: An analysis of almost 800 peer-reviewed studies found that AI can catalyze progress by enabling data-driven system optimization and forecasting across multiple SDG-related domains. But right now, its design is concentrated in high-income regions, widening the disparity between nonprofits globally, said experts at the 80th U.N. General Assembly. Only about 10% of philanthropic AI grants between 2018 and 2023 supported organizations in low- and middle-income countries.
The tide of AI won’t be stopped, however: A study from 2024 indicated that nearly 70% of nonprofit employees have already tried using AI in their work. For the sector, this momentum represents a leapfrog opportunity, especially in developing countries, to harness the power of AI if tools are designed with their specific populations and contexts in mind.
“In this day and age of nonprofits needing to do more with less, driving those productivity gains and allowing workers to free their time up to do more mission-critical work is more important than ever,” said Vanessa Smith, president of ServiceNow.org, a workflow automation AI platform that empowers nonprofits with tailored solutions to drive digital transformation and impact. “But [for] nonprofits — who many times are serving the most vulnerable populations — equity is nonnegotiable.”
That need for equity in access and design was echoed by other panelists, who warned of the risks if whole communities remain excluded from the digital revolution. “It scares me what tomorrow looks like for those who are excluded,” said Uyi Stewart, vice president of inclusive innovation and analytics at Mastercard. “In Africa … about 98% of [languages] are undigitized, which means they are not available online, and therefore are cut out from whatever we are talking about now. There's no one really thinking about how we solve that fundamental problem of digitization.”
On the sidelines of UNGA80, Devex and ServiceNow convened a group of high-level experts to talk about how to ensure that the most powerful tools of our time are used to make the world more just, inclusive, and resilient.
Significant barriers holding back nonprofits’ use of AI
Panelists from NGOs and corporations underscored the obstacles to using AI, including cost. According to Christian Pennotti, managing director of CARE’s Digital Impact Hub, even a bigger NGO doesn’t have surplus resources to invest in technology.
This cost barrier is compounded by unclear regulation and a shortage of AI talent, explained Mark Fitzgerald, global head of international development assistance services at KPMG.
Despite these challenges, the conversation also highlighted a wave of optimism and momentum among nonprofits. Panelists pointed to a growing ecosystem of support — including grant programs, pro bono services, and free AI training — designed to help organizations of all sizes get started on their digital transformation journeys.
Harnessing technology to make a difference
To overcome some of the hurdles, speakers urged nonprofits to start experimenting with low-risk tools such as generative AI for smaller functions, but Stewart warned against outsourcing any decision-making to them.
Penotti said CARE is “looking business unit by business unit, [asking] what are some of the fundamental problems … and then trying to identify within that, where are there common-sense opportunities for AI to make a difference.”
Bigger, sector-wide solutions include designing AI tools for local realities, investing in language digitization to include marginalized groups, and engaging governments early to enable scale and regulation, the panelists said.
Leveraging AI to amplify impact
Speakers underlined that digital transformation is no longer optional for nonprofits. With thoughtful partnerships, inclusive design, and clear governance, AI and automation can help mission-driven organizations amplify impact, extend reach to underserved communities, and create sustainable models for a rapidly changing world while keeping equity at the center of innovation.
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