This is the second blog about our views on how the nonprofit community should be thinking about Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is promising to revolutionize nonprofit organizations by streamlining operations and enhancing decision-making capabilities. However, nonprofits often face significant accessibility hurdles when attempting to integrate AI into their workflows.
Here are a few:
- Financial Constraints
One of the biggest challenges is the cost associated with AI adoption. It’s no secret most nonprofit organizations operate on shoestring budgets. The expense of AI tools, software subscriptions, and potential hardware upgrades could be prohibitive for many nonprofits. For those nonprofit organizations unable to afford these investments, this will make it difficult to compete with their larger, better-funded peers.
- Lack of In-House Technology & Expertise
Using AI requires a healthy technological infrastructure. And, while some nonprofit organizations invest in cutting edge data technologies, many of them don’t adequately train their staff to leverage the power of those investments. While many commercial organizations have entire teams dedicated to data science and machine learning, in our nonprofit corner, organizations often rely on staff who wear multiple hats. This may make it hard for nonprofits to implement AI tools in a manner that will benefit their mission.
- Data Scarcity
AI systems thrive on LARGE datasets. Without BIG data, AI algorithms don’t function as well, reducing their effectiveness and reliability.
- Scalability Issues
Relatedly, AI solutions often require scalability to adapt to changing scenarios or growing operational needs. However, many nonprofits operate in niche areas where AI tools may not be easily customized to their specific requirements. Off-the-shelf solutions may fail to address the challenges faced by nonprofits, and custom systems are often cost prohibitive.
- Training and Education
For AI to be most effective, you can’t have an “AI Department.” Everyone on the staff requires training and ongoing education. Without proper training, staff may struggle to effectively utilize AI tools.
- Cultural Barriers
The adoption of AI technologies may also face resistance due to cultural concerns. Staff may view AI as a threat to traditional ways of working (or their own jobs) and may not want to adapt. Of more concern, others may work to undermine the technologies’ effectiveness.
AI accessibility is an important issue for nonprofit organizations and can seem overwhelming. We suggest these steps to potentially make AI more accessible:
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- Use Open-Source Solutions: Leveraging open-source AI tools can reduce costs and provide flexibility for nonprofits to adapt technology to their needs.
- Collaborative Models: Partnerships with academic institutions, tech companies, and other nonprofits can help pool resources and expertise to overcome technical and financial barriers.
- Online Training Programs: Affordable AI training courses are emerging online, on platforms like YouTube and Coursera. Be sure to vet these courses to make sure they are relevant to your organization.
- Ethical Guidelines: AI cannot be just a “top-down” decision. As AI has the potential to affect everyone, all staff in your organization should be part of the conversation. Establishing clear guidelines on how AI will and will not be used can enhance transparency and trust, enabling nonprofits to adopt AI responsibly and effectively.
Next, in Part III of this blog series, we will address the critical area of data privacy.