SAN FRANCISCO — Emerging technologies are reshaping entire industries, and the field of global development is no exception. But in a crowded tech landscape, it can be hard to see past the hype and identify real solutions within information and communications technologies for development, or ICT4D.
To find out what to watch in 2020, Devex invited experts to join a webinar on the top tech trends of 2019.
“Technology is not a force we don’t have any control over … There are policy options.”
— Benjamin Kumpf, head of innovation, DFIDThe rise of big tech
One big trend was the rise of big tech for international development, with tech companies thinking about ways to use their platforms for good.
“I know Facebook and other big tech firms can sometimes be persona non grata in development circles, but they’re showing up in a big way, and we have to think as a development community about what this means,” said Nick Martin, founder and CEO of TechChange, an organization that produces courses on the use of technology in development.
As international development organizations explore partnerships with tech companies, they will have to weigh the benefits and risks of emerging technology for their work.
Preparing for the 4IR
A wide range of development projects are underway to ensure that African governments can maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Nixon Gecheo, a governance and ICT4D consultant based in Kenya, offered several ways that Africa can prepare for this technological revolution, such as ensuring the “future-readiness” of curriculum.
Ultimately, the path the 4IR takes will come down to people and values, he said, calling for more investment in African youth so they can be drivers — and not just consumers — of technology.
Digitally savvy donors
Another tech-for-development trend from 2019 was more donors becoming digitally savvy. Benjamin Kumpf, head of innovation at the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, discussed advances in technology and what they could mean for development priorities.
For example, Kumpf noted how the field of genomics is rapidly advancing and how a breakthrough in nanotechnology for gene editing could have major implications for genetically modified food production.
“Technology is not a force we don’t have any control over,” he said. “There are policy options.”
Kumpf referenced bans on facial recognition software due to insufficient guardrails around privacy as one example.
“There are very explicit design options even the tech giants could take if they rethink their business models,” he added.
Health goes digital
While tech has the potential to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, several panelists agreed that health was the sector where digital is reaching an inflection point.
Bobby Jefferson, vice president and chief technology officer at the international development company DAI Global Health, narrowed in on the top digital health technologies from this year.
For example, he highlighted the “Uberization” of health care, with more patients around the world having instant access to personalized health, and said he expects that more companies will increase their use of digital personalized data next year.
Other trends Jefferson mentioned include advances in infant biometrics, artificial intelligence software that transforms mobile phones into medical devices, and imagery analysis and machine learning for visual disease detection.
Digital transformation
Looking ahead to 2020, more organizations need to share their stories of digital transformation, Martin said.
“There are not a lot of case studies for how to do digital transformation and emerging tech projects well,” he said.
Martin called for more narratives that balance what worked well and what didn’t so that others can learn from best practices as well as mistakes.
About the author
Catherine Cheneycatherinecheney
Catherine Cheney is the Senior Editor for Special Coverage at Devex. She leads the editorial vision of Devex’s news events and editorial coverage of key moments on the global development calendar. Catherine joined Devex as a reporter, focusing on technology and innovation in making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, and worked as a web producer for POLITICO, a reporter for World Politics Review, and special projects editor at NationSwell. She has reported domestically and internationally for outlets including The Atlantic and the Washington Post. Catherine also works for the Solutions Journalism Network, a non profit organization that supports journalists and news organizations to report on responses to problems.
