June 2023 – The field of ICT4D (Information and Communication Technologies for Development) generally addresses problems of, and solutions for, the “unconnected people in the world”. Currently, this is close to half of the world’s population, the majority of whom live in poor, remote, often rural, regions of the world, often in so-called developing low/middle-income countries. The topic of the 2023 edition of the ICT4D in the Field course is: Artificial Intelligence (AI) positives and negatives for the Global South.
Currently, AI is at the center of attention as an innovative ICT technology with a claimed wide range of beneficial application opportunities, although others express doubts and concerns about various developments as undesirable or even dangerous. Heavy investments to boost AI and Data Science are taking place in the Global North, particularly in the big power blocs of US, Europe and China. However, what is the case for the Global North is not necessarily valid for the Global South, and this consequently requires independent and critical investigation.
Accordingly, the course ICT4D in the Field undertakes to investigate these matters in and for the Global South, thereby giving due attention to the specific contexts of people’s needs as well as the different geographic, economic, cultural and socio-political contexts.
A short summary of this course in a 2 minute video clip:
For the (virtual) staff mobility for this course between VU Amsterdam, UDS and UNIMAS a grant from ERASMUS+ program in the KA 107 2020 Call was received.
