Summary:
A $1 billion philanthropic initiative led by the Gates Foundation, Ballmer Group, and Stand Together will fund NextLadder Ventures to develop AI tools for under-resourced public defenders, social workers, and parole officers. This 15-year project aims to improve economic mobility through technology solutions for high-caseload professionals serving vulnerable populations. The coalition partners with Anthropic to provide technical expertise through its Claude language model while addressing risks of algorithmic bias and reliability in high-stakes social service contexts.
What This Means for You:
- Frontline social workers could see AI-powered caseload management tools that automate paperwork and client matching
- Public defenders may gain predictive analytics to prioritize urgent cases – request transparency reports from vendors
- Community organizations should audit AI tools for NIST compliance before deployment in sensitive client interactions
- Monitor ethical AI frameworks as philanthropic tech initiatives expand into public sector decision-making
Original Post:
A coalition of funders, including the Gates Foundation and Ballmer Group, will spend $1 billion over 15 years to help develop artificial intelligence tools for public defenders, parole officers, social workers and others who help Americans in precarious situations.
The funders announced Thursday that they will create a new entity, NextLadder Ventures, to offer grants and investments to nonprofits and for-profits to develop tools for those who often manage huge caseloads with few resources.
“The solutions that we’re investing in, the hundreds of entrepreneurs that are going to bring forward solutions that incorporate leading edge technologies, are going to do it by coming alongside people who are living through some of the struggles in the economy,” said Brian Hooks, CEO of Stand Together.
The other funders include hedge fund founder John Overdeck and Valhalla Foundation. The funders declined to reveal the exact financial commitments made by each of the contributors.
The point of investing in these AI toolsis to spur economic mobility. The funders believe there are many ideas for how AI technologies could help match people with resources after a disaster or an eviction, or help a parole officer close out more cases.
NextLadder will be led by Ryan Rippel, who previously directed the Gates Foundation’s economic mobility portfolio.
NextLadder will partner with AI company Anthropic, which will offer technical expertise and access to its technologies. Anthropic has committed around $1.5 million annually to the partnership.
Researchers have studied some of the risks associated with using AI tools when interacting with sensitive populations or handling high-stakes interactions. They recommend assessing whether AI is the best tool to solve the problem and assessing tools for bias.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology emphasizes that trustworthy AI systems
ORIGINAL SOURCE:
Source link
