MERL Tech DC 2019

'Artificial Intelligence’ is the buzzword for 2019, and lucky for us, we now have guidance from USAID on how to use it and machine learning in international development. We are also getting results from early experiments in applying machine learning techniques to actual government data from a developing world health systems.

In this session, participants will learn about two new reports from USAID on the use of AI and ML in development programs. Participants will also learn about the voyage of discovery that starts with getting access to messy data sets, transitions through several iterations of data cleaning and refinement, and arrives at realistic machine learning activities can then take place. Most importantly, we'll look at what machine learning experiments can (and cannot) reveal.

You'll come away with knowing what is (and isn't) possible with machine learning approaches in real-world settings and how you can keep your stakeholders grounded in what to expect when attempting artificial intelligence programs in international development.