“The revolution in artificial intelligence applications has been exploding in recent years with the emergence of new tools like ChatGPT. Yet fewer than 30 percent of nonprofits have started using or exploring AI, organizations are seeking ways to leverage AI for monetization and business growth. Let’s examine the social impact that AI has delivered to the non-profit industry.”- Ruolan Li
Check out the latest installation in this CSE Connect Series about how ChatGPT is influencing the various industries of interest to Brandeis International Business School Students!
Ways to Use AI for Nonprofits
Artificial intelligence for nonprofits is exciting because it has the potential to supplement the two resources most fundraising organizations lack: time and money. The article “AI for Nonprofits: How to Use Artificial Intelligence for Good” from Donorbox shows 8 ways to use AI for nonprofits, which are donor analysis, social media, generative content, chatbots, administrative tasks, planning events, managing volunteers, and fraud detection. While AI is compelling, it’s important to remember its limitations and dangers. With this in mind, nonprofits should be particularly mindful of how they use AI.
AI is Showing Its Impact on Society, Environment, and Economy
While the concept of AI is not new, the rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT has put a spotlight on AI’s capabilities and attracted the attention of business leaders. The article “Understanding the impact of AI on society, environment and economy” from CIO shows the social impact of AI. In transportation and logistics, AI helps develop semi-autonomous vehicles. With the introduction of autonomous transportation like the self-driving bus and enhance smart traffic control, AI saves the costs in logistics. In healthcare, AI also supports patient diagnosis to studying the efficacy of new drugs, hospital processes and improving the patient-doctor experience. AI’s social impact is creating a promising future.
AI Challenges for Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit organizations may face data privacy risks, misinformation, and algorithmic bias when using AI, as the article “Data Privacy, Misinformation, and Algorithmic Bias: AI Challenges for Nonprofit Organizations” from Independent Sector pointed out. The arrival of AI forces nonprofits to rethink themselves as organizations and adapt to take advantage of these new tools while involving new risks. This requires nonprofits to fully identify the risks to balance AI’s challenges and benefits.
We Should Find a Way to Use AI Well
While AI has the potential to transform how nonprofits operate from increasing efficiency to optimizing fundraising, the technology comes with some risks that leaders and fundraisers shouldn’t ignore. According to the article “How Nonprofits Can Use A.I. Well — and Avoid Pitfalls” from The Chronicle of Philanthropy, leaders of nonprofits should make sure to “do no harm” and stay “deeply human-centered” when using AI. Even with AI, human supervision is still significant and we have to always stay deeply human-centered in this work.
Reflection
As we delve deeper into the digital era, it’s imperative that nonprofit organizations embrace the transformative power of artificial intelligence. The key lies in navigating the technology responsibly, ensuring that AI is used ethically and effectively to augment human efforts rather than replace them. By staying informed about both the potentials and pitfalls of AI, nonprofits can harness this revolutionary technology to make a more significant impact, driving positive changes in society, the environment, and the economy.
Written by Ruolan Li, MA’24, and run through ChatGPT for grammar and spelling, this is the second installation in the CSE Connect Series about how ChatGPT is influencing the various industries of interest to Brandeis International Business School Students.
