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AI in Latin America’s Agriculture

AI in Agriculture in Latin AmericaLatin America’s farmers are grappling with climate extremes that threaten crop yields and food security. In this region, 74% of countries are highly exposed to droughts, floods and other weather disasters that reduce agricultural productivity and disrupt food supplies. Nearly 28% of the population faces food insecurity, underscoring an urgent need to boost farm resilience.

To tackle these challenges, farmers and innovators across Latin America are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI). New tools, ranging from predictive analytics and precision irrigation to image recognition and decision-support apps, are helping producers forecast their harvests, optimize resource use and increase yields. By leveraging data on climate, soil and crops, AI in Latin America’s agriculture offers a promising path to grow more food with fewer resources in the face of the changing climate.

Data-Driven Farming in Brazil Improves Yields

In Brazil, agri-tech startup Agrosmart is pioneering the use of AI to make farming more predictable and climate-smart. Launched in 2014, Agrosmart now supports more than 100,000 farmers across Latin America with real-time data on weather and soil conditions. The platform integrates on-farm sensors, satellite imagery and machine learning to guide decisions at every step of cultivation, from optimal seed planting dates to targeted irrigation and fertilizer use.

According to Agrosmart’s founders, this data-driven approach can reduce water usage by up to 60% and energy costs by 20%, while helping farmers maintain healthy yields. By adopting such AI analytics, growers are better able to anticipate weather patterns and crop needs, rather than relying on traditional almanacs or guesswork.

Agrosmart’s success reflects a wider digital revolution on Latin America’s farms. AI-powered decision tools are increasingly common, from drones that monitor crop health to smart cameras that identify weeds for precision herbicide spraying. These technologies boost productivity by detecting issues early and optimizing field management.

For example, Puerto Rico-based startup TerraFirma uses AI analysis of satellite images to forecast environmental risks like upcoming storms, crop diseases or soil erosion. By predicting such threats in advance, farmers can take preventive steps to protect their harvests. Overall, AI analytics are enabling Latin American producers to boost yields and reduce losses through more informed, proactive farm management.

“With the world’s population expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, technologies like AI are humanity’s best hope for sustainable food production,” notes Agrosmart CEO Mariana Vasconcelos.

Precision Irrigation From Argentina to Chile

Water is another critical focus for AI in agriculture. Farms consume about 70% of global freshwater and up to 90% in developing countries. In drought-prone parts of Latin America, conserving water while keeping crops productive is a top priority.

Argentine startup Kilimo has risen to this challenge with an AI-powered irrigation management platform. Kilimo’s system analyzes data from satellites, weather forecasts and soil sensors to tell farmers when and how much to irrigate for optimal crop growth. By using machine learning to predict each crop’s water needs, the platform acts like a “smart irrigation advisor,” sending recommendations via an app or SMS even to remote fields.

This allows farmers to give crops enough water for top yields without waste. In practice, farmers using Kilimo have reduced their water consumption by up to 20% while maintaining (or even boosting) their yields. Over the past two years, Kilimo’s tool has helped save an estimated 72 billion liters of water (about 19 billion gallons) across several countries. The company now operates in seven Latin American nations, including Argentina, Mexico and Chile, reaching more than 2,000 farmers with its water-saving AI recommendations.

The impact of precision irrigation is best demonstrated in central Chile. In the Biobío region, an area facing seasonal water stress, farmers adopted smart irrigation systems equipped with IoT soil-moisture sensors. According to Chile’s Ministry of Agriculture, these data-driven systems precisely determine when and how much to water each crop, avoiding over-irrigation.

The results have been striking: farms using smart irrigation in Biobío cut water usage by up to 30%, yet saw crop yields increase by as much as 20% thanks to more efficient water delivery. This finding, echoed by the Inter-American Development Bank, shows that better water management directly translates into higher productivity. In addition, pumping less water saves energy and costs, a win-win for farmers’ finances and the environment.

Precision irrigation guided by AI is thus helping Latin American growers produce more food with less water. This innovation bolsters food security in increasingly dry growing conditions.

AI in Latin America’s Agriculture

Beyond climate and water management, AI-driven tools are improving many aspects of crop monitoring and harvest planning. In Chile, researchers at the University of Bío-Bío have developed an AI system using drones and image recognition to assist blueberry farmers. Drones periodically fly over the blueberry fields, capturing multispectral images of the plants at each growth stage.

An AI model analyzes these images and delivers real-time data via a mobile app, showing farmers the ripeness of their fruit across the field. This allows growers to pinpoint the optimal harvest time, ensuring berries are picked at peak maturity for quality and yield. The same system can automatically detect early signs of problems, alerting farmers to pest infestations or frost damage on the crop before those threats spread.

By acting as a constant set of “eyes” on the field, such AI vision technology helps farmers make faster, better-informed decisions that protect yields and reduce post-harvest losses. Similarly, other Latin American producers are using smartphone apps and sensors as digital field assistants. These range from apps that identify crop diseases from a photo to automated warning systems that activate when weather conditions favor a potential pest outbreak.

The Broader Impact

Each of these tools adds a layer of resilience for small farmers, who can respond to challenges in real time rather than suffer surprise crop failures. Crucially, these innovations contribute to a more secure food supply. Higher yields and efficient practices mean more stable production of staples like grains, fruits and vegetables.

Smart farming also promotes sustainability by minimizing inputs like water, fertilizers and chemicals, which helps preserve the natural resources that agriculture depends on. Development experts point out that embracing technology and climate-smart innovation is key to safeguarding Latin America’s agricultural future. A 2025 Inter-American Development Bank report highlighted digital agriculture as a tool to “improve yields and efficiency, protect natural capital and unlock the potential for a competitive, resilient development” in the region.

Governments and NGOs are increasingly partnering with tech firms to expand these solutions. These efforts range from national AI agriculture strategies to pilot programs that bring low-cost farm sensors to rural communities. With supportive policies and training, even more farmers can adopt AI-based services to enhance their productivity.

Final Remarks

The rise of AI in Latin America’s agriculture offers hopeful evidence that the region can meet its food security challenges through innovation. From Brazil’s big data platforms to Argentina’s water-saving apps and Chile’s smart irrigation networks, each success story represents a step toward a more predictable and plentiful harvest. Of course, scaling up these technologies to benefit smallholder farmers across diverse geographies remains a task ahead.

Nonetheless, as Latin America stands on the brink of this agricultural tech revolution, experts are optimistic. By carefully and inclusively implementing AI solutions, the region can cultivate a more sustainable and food-secure future. In the face of climate uncertainty, AI in Latin America’s agriculture is empowering farmers to not only predict their harvests but also to improve them, season after season.

– Elena Cárdenas

Elena is based in Monterrey, Mexico and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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AI health chatbots: Reaching Rural Patients in India

AI health chatbotsIn rural India, accessing health care often means a difficult journey. Only 10% of rural residents have access to health care within a 10-kilometer radius, while 90% must travel to different locations for specialized treatment. This distance translates to lost wages, transportation costs and delayed treatment that can turn minor ailments into life-threatening emergencies.

The health care gap in rural India is severe. Rural areas have a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:11,082, nearly 11 times worse than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 1:1,000 recommendation. Meanwhile, 71% of India’s population lives in rural areas, but only one-third of physicians practice there.

As of 2025, a technological revolution is bringing medical expertise directly to India’s villages. AI health chatbots developed by Indian startups are transforming smartphones into medical lifelines, offering instant guidance to millions.

Empowering Community Health Workers

ASHABot leads this transformation. Developed by Khushi Baby in partnership with Microsoft Research India, this WhatsApp-based AI chatbot empowers India’s ASHA workers—community health volunteers serving as the backbone of rural health care. The goal is to reach all 1 million ASHAs across the country, who collectively serve 800 million to 900 million people in rural India.

Launched in early 2024, the platform uses GPT-4 technology to provide multilingual support in Hindi, English and Hinglish. When an ASHA worker encounters a question about childhood immunization, breastfeeding or pregnancy complications, she can ask ASHABot through voice notes and receive evidence-based answers within seconds. The system draws from around 40 curated documents, including India’s public health manuals and UNICEF guidelines. The voice note capability also allows ASHAs to play responses aloud for patients who cannot read.

Since early 2024, more than 24,000 messages have been sent through ASHABot, and 869 ASHAs have been onboarded. Currently operating only in the Udaipur district, Rajasthan, the tool represents a pilot that Khushi Baby plans to scale nationwide.

ASHABot builds on Khushi Baby’s decade of work. The organization’s broader Community Health Integrated Platform, used by more than 75,000 community health workers across 48,000 villages, has tracked the health of more than 50 million people. In randomized controlled trials involving 3,200 mothers, the digital health intervention showed a 12% improvement in complete infant immunization.

Making Health Care Affordable

In Odisha and Chhattisgarh, CureBay has established more than 150 e-clinics across 32 districts. The organization focuses on areas where approximately 65,000 people within a 10-kilometer radius lack access to health care.

CureBay’s innovation lies in its affordability. For ₹599 annually—less than ₹2 per day—members receive free doctor consultations and 15% discounts on medicines. For individuals covered under government schemes or insurance, CureBay provides financial support with a daily allowance of ₹1,000 for each day of hospitalization, up to a maximum of 30 days. This membership model helps eliminate catastrophic health expenses that push millions of Indians into poverty each year.

The platform combines AI-powered diagnostic tools with human expertise. AI analyzes symptoms and medical images, providing preliminary assessments during teleconsultations with doctors. CE- and FDA-approved devices conduct diagnostic tests at the e-clinics.

Since 2021, CureBay has served 550,000 unique patients. The organization employs more than 1,000 Swasthya Mitras, community health workers, creating local jobs while expanding access. Around 90,000 people actively subscribe to preventive health programs, with a renewal rate exceeding 60%, showing sustained engagement.

In May 2025, CureBay raised $21 million in Series B funding led by Bertelsmann India Investments, Elevar Equity and British International Investment. Total funding reached about $37 million, with a post-money valuation of around $75 million.

Addressing Mental Health

Mental health remains deeply stigmatized in rural India, yet stress, anxiety and depression affect millions. Wysa, a Bengaluru-based startup, created an AI chatbot that provides mental health support through evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.

Wysa launched its Hindi version in April 2024, making mental health resources accessible to Hindi-speaking rural populations. The app is available on smartphones and WhatsApp. The Hindi pilot showed strong engagement, with 80% of users returning for multiple sessions.

Clinical studies demonstrate Wysa’s effectiveness. Users experience an average 31% reduction in moderate anxiety symptoms and a 40% reduction in moderate depression symptoms, according to a study by U.K. health insurer Vitality involving 60,000 members. The platform has facilitated more than 550 million conversations across 65 countries, reaching 7 million users worldwide.

Wysa’s basic version is free, making mental health support accessible to those who cannot afford traditional therapy.

The Digital Foundation

This transformation builds on India’s expanding digital infrastructure. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission generated 442 million digital health accounts and linked 293 million health records. Out of 597,000 villages, 572,000 now have mobile or network connectivity, enabling digital health services.

With more than 425 million rural smartphone users and 504 million rural internet users projected by 2025, the foundation exists to scale these solutions nationwide. Rural internet users are growing at a rate of 26%, projected to exceed urban users for the first time.

The Future of AI Health Chatbots

AI health chatbots are not replacing doctors. Instead, they extend medical expertise to villages that never had access. They turn the 100-kilometer barrier into zero distance and transform smartphones into tools for health equity. For rural India, the future of health care has arrived, one conversation at a time.

– Jawad Noori

Jawad is based in London, UK and focuses on Technology and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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Earth05: Fighting the Global Water Crisis

Earth05Artificial Intelligence (AI) is in every corner of everyone’s lives. No matter what screen you turn on, there is an AI feature that tries to simplify your life with its summarizations and generated images. That help doesn’t have to be just for people; it can also be used to save the environment.

Recognizing this potential, the Barcelona-based nonprofit Earth05 has begun applying AI to address the ongoing water crisis. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), about 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. To address this challenge, Earth05 is working toward its goal of improving the lives of 500 million people by 2030.

Earth05

Earth05, launched in January 2024 at the World Economic Forum. Its mission is to increase water access to millions of people globally. The organization aims to achieve this by using AI to predict water shortages, detect leaks and contaminants, optimize irrigation and power smart delivery systems.

Earth05’s ultimate goal is to prevent rising poverty and support lower-middle-income economies and indigenous communities. It aims to equip these groups for immediate challenges and long-term shifts in the age of AI. Earth05 believes combining AI with water conservation can create powerful solutions for the planet and its people.

Earth05’s AI could help predict water fluctuation patterns in countries that need it most, which is becoming harder to do without the assistance of AI. Such progress would be vital for nations like Mexico, Brazil, India, China and other countries that obtain water by desalination.

Aside from improving water access, Earth05 is committed to contributing to the United Nations (U.N.) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and many more.

The Solution

Earth05 is fighting to ensure the global water crisis does not worsen by integrating water, education and AI across all initiatives. New technology will allow the nonprofit to analyze future systems, from water consumption to the availability of water based on previous predicted weather reports. AI can make these predictions quickly and accurately, for the first time.

The charity’s goal has always been Return on Lives (ROL), the first metric to measure what truly matters in innovation. ROL tracks how investment dollars translate into real improvements in human lives, environmental health and future well-being. It directly shows how many people Earth05 has helped through its commitment to solving the global water crisis.

Final Remarks

Earth05 is using AI to create better weather reports and better irrigation systems. The research conducted by Earth05 will help find ways to access frozen water or water buried deep in the ground. AI can use its knowledge and large language models (LLMs) to help locate water for those in need and address the growing global water crisis.

– Avery Carl

Avery is based in Norfolk, NE, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Planting the Seeds of Success with AI Learning

Seeds of SuccessWith the rise of AI developments in recent years, many organizations and companies have been adapting to AI’s capabilities and what it means in the new era of technology.

Much of everyday life has now been impacted by AI, from going through a drive-thru to searching online. However, one organization seeks to make AI have the humanistic touch it needs to have a powerful impact globally with AI learning.

About Seeds of Success

Seeds of Success is a nonprofit organization that gives individuals who lack proper access to many resources the chance to gain steady support in many aspects of their lives. Most importantly, its outreach includes many mental health services to help the 50 million adults globally who face mental health challenges with no resources.

However, the charity’s support does not stop there! Through Seeds of Success’ Project CARLA, students can be introduced to learning opportunities using AI learning, regardless of their background.

Using AI Learning for Good

In an effort to flip the narrative around AI and education, Seeds of Success looks to develop AI learning algorithms with educators and students to better school communities globally. It seeks to use AI not to replace teachers, therapists or other vital supports, but to amplify teachers’ and other support workers’ outreach to their students and receivers.

The charity seeks to eliminate the unnatural AI algorithms that do not connect with individuals seeking mental health services today. Instead, its projects include the redefinition of AI and AI learning to engage students and troubled youth in the modern world around them.

AI for the People, by the People

The founder of Seeds of Success, Jarred VanHorn, has a personal mission with his AI learning redirection: to approach communities with a compassionate response to mental health and learning challenges to improve the quality of life.

VanHorn and Seeds of Success seek to accomplish this mission by ensuring that mental health and its various resources are not an afterthought for communities. With the support of numerous volunteers driving its global impact on AI learning, Seeds of Success aims to spread mental health and educational resources to all affected youth.

In the long term, the organization seeks to cultivate a culture shift around AI and learning that will positively influence the world. Indeed, the organization’s motto, “AI for the People, by the People,” reinforces the vision that VanHorn seeks to build around AI. Seeds of Success looks to a future where AI can transform the lives of students, youth and educators alike.

The Impact Over Time

Seeds of Success is calling for donor support to sustain its mission of helping others. Until now, the organization has been operating solely with volunteers. However, VanHorn recognizes that Seeds of Success could expand its impact significantly with greater resources.

With increased funding, the organization could extend its outreach through scholarships, mental health and wellness programs and the continued redefinition of AI learning. Looking to the future, Seeds of Success is working to impact a cultural change and positively implement AI learning in communities around the globe.

– Angelina Tas

Angelina is based in Cleveland, OH, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Novissi: AI Fighting Global Poverty

NovissiHeadlines often cast artificial intelligence (AI) as a thief of jobs or a shadow over humanity’s future, yet in some of the world’s poorest communities, it has become a lifeline. In Malawi, AI-powered fetal monitoring is helping reduce one of the world’s highest neonatal death rates. Satellite data and mobile phone records in Togo are speeding up emergency cash transfers to families who would otherwise wait months for aid. In India, a digital platform is giving rural workers fair wages to build datasets in their own languages. Meanwhile, across Africa, solar-powered water pumps with AI-enabled monitoring are keeping clean water and electricity flowing in underserved communities. 

Newborns in Malawi

Malawi has long struggled with one of the world’s highest neonatal mortality rates. Between 2000 and 2015, the rate hovered around 27 deaths per 1,000 live births, far above the global average of 17. Conventional monitoring often missed early signs of distress, especially in overcrowded maternity wards with limited staff.

At Lilongwe’s Area 25 Health Centre, an AI-powered fetal monitoring system now tracks heart rate and oxygen levels continuously. It acts like a second pair of eyes, sounding the alarm before midwives can detect trouble. A six-month before-and-after study found that intrapartum stillbirths and early neonatal deaths dropped sharply once the system was introduced. At this single clinic, stillbirths and neonatal deaths have fallen by more than 82%.

For midwives, AI has become the colleague that never leaves the room; for mothers, it is the difference between heartbreak and hope. In Malawi, AI has stepped into the role of caregiver as a new angel for humanity, watching over the smallest lives.

Novissi Predicting Poverty

Before COVID-19, many poor households in Togo were invisible to social registries. Informal workers lacked paperwork or census records, so cash transfers often took months to arrange and often missed those most in need.

During the pandemic, the government built Novissi, a digital program that used satellite imagery and mobile-phone metadata to predict poverty at the household level. Families then received mobile-money transfers within days. Registration was simple, verification used voter IDs, and payments scaled quickly to hundreds of thousands of people. Independent evaluations found the AI-assisted targeting was both faster and more accurate than older methods. 

Offering Dignity in India

Rural India is home to millions who live on less than $2 a day, with unemployment and underemployment leaving families stuck in poverty. Even when work is available, it is often seasonal farm labor or insecure low-wage jobs.

The social enterprise Karya, backed by Microsoft and the Gates Foundation, is tackling this challenge by using AI to create dignified digital work. Villagers are paid to record speech and text in their own languages, building datasets that train global AI tools. Unlike most digital piecework, Karya guarantees above-minimum wages and shares royalties whenever the data is reused.

For workers, it means food on the table, children staying in school, and recognition that their voices matter. 

Carrying Water and Shining the Light in Africa

Across sub-Saharan Africa, more than 400 million people lack clean water and 600 million live without electricity. Even when solar pumps or mini-grids are installed, they often fail within months, leaving families hauling water long distances or studying by candlelight until repairs are made.

Organizations like Innovation: Africa, now fit solar-powered systems with remote monitoring sensors. These track water flow and electricity output, transmitting data over mobile networks. When a system falters, technicians receive alerts and can repair the problem within 48 hours instead of months. In one Ugandan village, a broken pump that once left families without water for weeks was repaired in two days after the system flagged the failure.

For families, it means reliable water and steady light to study at night, turning fragile systems into dependable lifelines.

– Diane Dunlop

Diane is based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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How Zzapp Malaria Uses AI Technology To Fight Malaria in Africa

Zzapp MalariaEvery year, malaria sickens millions and kills hundreds of thousands worldwide, with most cases concentrated in Africa. In 2023 alone, there were an estimated 263 million malaria cases and nearly 600,000 deaths, with children aged 5 and less accounting for about 76% of those deaths.

Despite decades of progress, including a 38% reduction in malaria incidence and a 60% drop in mortality from 2000 to 2022, gains have stalled. Challenges such as drug and insecticide resistance, underfunding and changing climatic conditions continue to hamper efforts. As traditional tools fall short, technology to fight malaria is becoming increasingly vital.

AI as a Solution

Malaria has been eliminated in several countries that are able to carry out comprehensive control operations, particularly by targeting mosquito breeding grounds in stagnant water bodies. However, such interventions require significant investment.

To overcome these barriers, innovative initiatives like Zzapp Malaria are using technology to fight malaria. They are transforming control operations with AI and mobile tools to offer scalable, cost-effective solutions to one of Africa’s most persistent public health threats.

How Zzapp Malaria Works

Zzapp Malaria is an Israeli nonprofit startup. It uses AI-driven software to plan and execute malaria control operations, particularly larviciding and house spraying, in low-resource and urban settings across Africa.

Its approach combines several key steps:

  • Planning and mapping. Neural networks analyze satellite images to detect homes, stagnant water areas and breeding hotspots, incorporating climate and topographic data to determine optimal intervention timing.
  • Task allocation. The platform segments areas into grids and assigns them to field workers through its mobile app.
  • Field operations. App-guided teams map, sample and treat water bodies with larvicides or sprays, with real-time data optimizing interventions.
  • Monitoring. The system flags areas with insufficient treatment or high mosquito levels for rapid response.

The app works offline, supports low-end smartphones and uses icons for low-literacy users. It recognizes traditional huts and modern homes and training is simple. For many field workers, using the app is their first digital experience, empowering them with new skills.

Proven Impact and Cost-Effectiveness

  • Obuasi, Ghana. In partnership with the AngloGold Malaria Control Program (AG­AMaL), Zzapp Malaria piloted its system in 2017. A 2018 randomized controlled trial showed app-guided teams detected 28% more breeding sites with more than 90% coverage than standard methods. By 2020, a full-scale operation reduced mosquito populations by 60% in less than four months at $0.20 per person protected, compared to about $5 for traditional spraying.
  • São Tomé and Príncipe. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Zzapp Malaria conducted an eight month-long larviciding operation covering 166,000 people across 240 square kilometers. Results included a 75% reduction in mosquitoes, malaria cases cut by more than half and an average cost of $0.86 per person protected, dropping to $0.44 in urban areas — about twice as cost-effective as bed nets.

Zzapp Malaria remains active in Ghana, São Tomé and Príncipe and has expanded to Mozambique, Zanzibar in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya. Its pilots have reached 500,000 people, with expansion agreements aiming for at least five million.

Recent Developments

  • Ghana. In April 2025, The Ghanaian Times reported that AGAMal and Zzapp Malaria’s tools reduced malaria prevalence to about 1% in Obuasi East.
  • Mozambique. Following a successful pilot in Maputo with Mozambique’s National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and Goodbye Malaria, Zzapp Malaria is preparing a nationwide urban rollout.
  • Zanzibar. Drone integration trials are underway, using drone maps and LiDAR to identify breeding sites. Zanzibar’s Ministry of Health has implemented this project as part of the spatial intelligence system funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC).

Why Zzapp Malaria’s Solutions Matter

Despite large global investments, conventional tools often fall short and progress has stalled. Technology to fight malaria, like Zzapp Malaria, enables task-shifting to community health workers while enhancing surveillance, diagnosis and treatment. Its AI-powered mapping, targeted larviciding and drone-assisted detection fill key gaps:

  • Cost-effective interventions. Optimize resources where funding is limited.
  • Complementary strategies. Strengthen existing interventions facing resistance.
  • Enhanced operations. Improve data-driven decision-making in challenging contexts.

Zzapp Malaria exemplifies the transformative potential of technology to fight malaria through digital health solutions:

  • Technology as a solution. AI and drones directly reduce mosquito populations and malaria cases.
  • Scalability and cost-effectiveness. Proven impact at minimal cost.
  • Empowerment. Tools designed for low-literacy, low-infrastructure settings democratize access.
  • Evidence-based results. Peer-reviewed studies and credible media confirm its effectiveness.

In a world where malaria continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year, Zzapp Malaria shows how technology to fight malaria can provide scalable, cost-effective solutions to one of the world’s most persistent health challenges.

– Jacobo L. Esteban

Jacobo is based in Cali, Colombia and focuses on Technology and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How AI Is Improving Education Systems in the DRC

Education in the DRCThe Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is enduring one of the most complex humanitarian disasters of modern times. Amid a brutal conflict, political corruption and the pursuit of natural resources, the children of the DRC currently face a raft of life-threatening challenges.

A Nation of Paradox

Despite the DRC being the world’s largest cobalt producer and rich in many natural resources, 28 million Congolese civilians are experiencing acute food insecurity. At a time of great struggle, the people of the DRC suffer at the hands of one of the most persistent and far-reaching conflicts in Africa. An estimated 7.8 million civilians have been internally displaced. At the same time, schools, homes and public infrastructure are destroyed in pursuit of land and resources.

Following years of colonial rule, President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo is accused of contributing to a status quo that perpetrates human rights violations against his people. Hence, DRC ranks among the highest globally in corruption, where wealth fuels conflict and extraction rather than public and economic development. Not only have these issues created an ongoing humanitarian crisis, but they also contribute to unemployment and poverty. More than 70% of the Congolese population lives on less than $2.15 per day.

Education Systems in the DRC

These immense challenges have shattered the education system in the DRC. Around 7.6 million children and half of all girls between the ages of 5 and 17 no longer attend school. Many struggle to complete their studies due to barriers like resource shortages, long distances or economic challenges.

With many schools and education systems destroyed, those operating in the DRC often struggle with overcrowding and underfunding, severely limiting education quality amid ongoing economic and social instability. These compounded challenges lead to low enrollment rates and expose children to serious risks. These include forced recruitment, child labor, violence and deepening poverty, harsh realities in a country where daily survival is already a struggle.

The AI Revolution in Africa

In a changing Africa, AI is set to play a significant role in addressing the challenges faced within public education. By bridging the digital divide and increasing access to quality schooling, AI platforms could prepare students more fully for the demands of a fairer workforce. African EdTech startups have grown rapidly in recent years, offering content that supports learning and teaching in diverse settings. Many now provide materials in African languages and dialects, helping re-empower local communities during uncertain times.

Yet, regardless of AI’s undeniable potential, the DRC ranked 181st globally on the AI Government Readiness Index between 2023 and 2024. This low ranking reflects widespread concerns about government effectiveness and the scalability of AI in underserved rural areas. Despite these hurdles, AI-powered tools now facilitate opportunities for basic educational tools tailored with digital platforms such as Schoolap. These platforms show promise at a time when the DRC’s education system is facing existential threats.

Schoolap

Since its founding in 2017, Schoolap has expanded rapidly, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital learning. The platform now features more than 20,300 educational resources, 6,000 partner schools, 1.9 million registered students and around 105,000 participating teachers across six provinces.

In the face of these many great challenges, by engaging students with innovative adaptive learning platforms, AI is providing children with new and efficient means of education. These means are easier to access and less dependent on their location or socioeconomic status. The app requires users to complete an account form to access its content. This form identifies the learner’s level of study, after which they can access online courses in multiple formats, designed for both primary and secondary students and educators.

Conclusion

The Schoolap platform offers a simple solution as Congolese schools continue to close. It combines digital curriculum management with interactive tools that can address the growing needs of the faltering education systems in the DRC. While the road to long-term safety and security is dangerous, platforms such as Schoolap reveal promising new pathways. They offer more accessible education for the children of a nation deeply affected by war, corruption and the mismanagement of public resources.

– Gabriel John Gunn

Gabriel is based in Paisley, Scotland and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How AI in South Africa Fights Poverty

AI in South Africa Fights PovertySouth Africa faces significant socioeconomic challenges that hinder economic growth, increase unemployment and drive poverty levels higher. As of 2025, the World Bank projects that 63.5% of the population will continue to live below the upper-middle-income line of $6.85 per day.

Despite challenges, South Africa leads Africa in harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to revive struggling industries, boost productivity and drive economic development. Indeed, the 2024 Global Index on Responsible AI ranks it as the continent’s top performer. The implementation of AI in South Africa plays a key role as the country fights poverty, by addressing structural inequalities and innovating health care, agriculture and the workforce.

AI in South Africa Fights Poverty

In 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the establishment of a commission to help the country benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The 4IR represents the ongoing technological transformation in society, driven by advances in modern technologies and artificial intelligence. Indeed, the commission’s efforts have opened new opportunities for South African society to integrate more effectively into a technology-driven workforce.

The creation of the AI Institute of South Africa further expands career and educational pathways for both students and professionals. Former IT students founded the institution to equip citizens with the skills needed for a digital workforce. It offers internships, job placements and professional development opportunities in the IT and engineering sectors, helping individuals thrive in a technology-driven economy.

Universities and research institutions also play an important role in building digital and technical skills, offering postgraduate programs focused on AI and data analytics. The University of Pretoria’s Data Science for Social Impact group offers courses in big data and natural language processing, while TVET colleges and Sector Education and Training Authorities deliver programs focused on 4IR. 

These measures aim to directly reduce unemployment in South Africa. They support economic development by enhancing digital skills within the workforce.

AI in Agriculture

South Africa’s agricultural sector faces serious challenges from unpredictable and frequent natural disasters, which reduce crop yields and cause livestock losses. Rising food prices hit rural communities hardest, increasing the risk of food insecurity. Statistics South Africa revealed that by 2023, 19.7% of households had experienced some form of food insecurity. 

Using AI in South Africa through digital agricultural technologies offers a chance to increase productivity and improve resource efficiency. For example, tools like Aerobotics use drone and satellite technology to detect pest and disease outbreaks, providing valuable support to rural communities with limited data access. Insights on irrigation and fertilisation strategies, predicted yields and water usage help farmers allocate resources more effectively, according to the 2024 GSMA report. 

Alongside these technologies, locally led initiatives such as the ITIKI project demonstrate how AI can also strengthen food security by addressing climate-related risks. Led by the Central University of Technology, the project uses AI and indigenous knowledge to forecast droughts and track food security, GSMA reports. Delivering real-time insights to farmers and decision-makers aids in reducing crop loss. Additionally, farmers are guided to interventions and insights combat food insecurity in rural communities.

By strengthening agricultural resilience and efficiency, AI in South Africa plays a vital role in reducing food insecurity and alleviating poverty in vulnerable communities.

AI in Health Care

South Africa has seen significant advances in equal access to healthcare. As of 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) projects that essential health care services will cover 6.2 million additional people.

The implementation of AI in South Africa further drives innovation in the health care sector by improving diagnostic accuracy, easing workloads and expanding access to services in rural areas. With 62% of health care leaders adopting AI for decision-making and treatment monitoring, South Africa is outpacing the global average in key areas of health tech adoption.

Data-driven decision-making and personalised healthcare initiatives significantly ease pressure on the public health sector. The government-led MomConnect initiative uses AI-powered messaging and virtual symptom assessments to support pregnant mothers. Timely health advice has improving maternal and child health outcomes, GSMA reports.

By expanding access to quality care, AI in healthcare plays a key role in reducing health-related poverty and bridging gaps in vulnerable communities.

The Future of AI in South Africa

Continued implementation of advanced technology in South Africa supports strong economic growth. Furthermore, AI-driven solutions directly address long-standing social challenges effectively by improving the quality of life in vulnerable areas.

South Africa’s National Artificial Intelligence Policy Framework aims to harness the long-term societal and economic benefits of advanced technologies. It sets clear guidelines for integrating AI in alignment with the country’s existing socio-economic goals. By doing so, the framework helps maximize AI’s potential while minimizing associated risks.

To fully realise the benefits of AI in South Africa, active collaboration between policymakers, government and citizens should drive inclusive policies, ensure equitable access to technology and prioritise solutions that address poverty and inequality. Indeed, with a shared commitment to innovation and ethical development, South Africa is well-positioned to shape a future where AI empowers its people and strengthens its society.

– Beatrice Punt

Beatrice is based in Manchester, UK and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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AI in Higher Education in Yemen

AI in Higher Education in YemenSince March 2015, the civil war between the Yemeni government and the Houthis has worsened life conditions for innocent civilians in Yemen. About 14% of the population is estimated to be internally displaced and more than 18.2 million require humanitarian aid. Millions of Yemeni children lack necessities like shelter and food, making access to education, often seen as a secondary need in crisis, increasingly out of reach.

Education in Yemen

Seven years into the conflict, 2,916 schools were destroyed, partially damaged or used for noneducational purposes and around 172,000 teachers were irregularly paid or sought better income sources. Two million children were out of school before COVID-19 and the pandemic hindered access to education furthermore.

With forced displacements, bombings and lack of female teachers making schooling a challenge, the frail access to education endangers these children’s futures; in some cases, early marriage for girls and armed group recruitment for boys is the only path forward. Amid this disruption and displacement, digital technology offers new ways to keep learning alive, even in the most challenging conditions.

In recent years, AI has revolutionized the modern world in various fields, including education. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, education worldwide has quickly shifted to online platforms and technological tools. In November 2022, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to the world; students commonly use this chatbot as it is known to enhance education by providing personalized and interactive learning and ongoing feedback.

These emerging tools do not exclude war-torn countries. AI in higher education in Yemen is relatively common; despite the crisis, students utilize AI tools to facilitate learning and aid them in attaining their academic goals.

AI Usage in Yemeni Universities

A study at the University of Science and Technology in Aden found that 95.8% of respondents use AI tools for educational purposes. Usage frequency varied: 21.1% reported daily use, 30.5% used AI a few times a week, 28.4% used it once a week and 20% used it rarely. Only 4.1% of respondents had never used educational AI tools.

Though the educational AI tools are various, this university’s students primarily lean toward ChatGPT; the study reported that they use ChatGPT at 78.9%, as opposed to 8.4% for Gemini, 1.1% for Claude and 11.6% for other AI tools. Another study on EFL Yemeni students showed that a third of the respondents use AI tools daily. Their tool of choice for English learning is ChatGPT at 42%, which exceeds tools specifically designed for language learning like Duolingo at 24%.

Perceived Benefits and Drawbacks

AI in higher education in Yemen has proven very effective in helping students grow throughout their curriculum. The EFL students noted that AI facilitated their understanding by providing interactive and faster learning, flexibility, convenience and immediate feedback. These students believe that AI tools enhance their practical and technical skills, improve their critical thinking abilities and increase their motivation to learn.

However, several drawbacks to using AI tools for education show that full integration into Yemeni universities is still out of reach. Financial constraints limit access to AI. Engineering students specifically reported a lack of funding, insufficient technological resources and poor training on effectively using AI tools for personalized learning.

Skepticism about AI’s accuracy is another major drawback; many students have expressed that ChatGPT, the most used AI tool, can provide unreliable information, false references, gradually weaker answers and logical errors and contradictions.

Conclusion

AI in higher education in Yemen is widely used across various fields of study. ChatGPT has much positive feedback for facilitating learning and providing remote, personalized education. Many aspects regarding the inaccurate nature of the chatbot, as well as the financial limitations and threatened internet access, diminish the potential benefits of the tool. Nevertheless, continuous technological improvements and increased international support to Yemeni educational establishments and students can help break the barriers to education in Yemen.

– Yasmine Belabed

Yasmine is based in Boumerdes, Algeria and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Wadhwani AI: Fighting Poverty in India

Wadhwani aiIn a country of more than 1.4 billion people, diseases such as tuberculosis are rife, crop losses threaten the livelihoods of millions and many children struggle unaided with basic literacy. The Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Wadhwani AI), is a nonprofit that is using AI to fight poverty in India. Founded in 2018 by Romesh and Sunil Wadhwani, Wadhwani AI is applying low-cost, AI-based solutions to real-world problems in critical areas such as healthcare, agriculture and education.

Reducing the Spread of Tuberculosis

India has the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) cases globally:

  • India accounts for 27% of recorded TB cases
  • In 2022, 2.82 million new cases were documented
  • 331,000 deaths were due to TB

The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) is the Indian governmental initiative to reduce the spread of TB. The Transformative Research and Artificial Intelligence Capacity for Elimination of Tuberculosis (TRACE-TB) – Wadhwani AI’s umbrella term for several AI programs they are using to help combat TB – aims to improve upon diagnostic tools available and speed up treatment processes.

One of these goals is to improve upon the screening tools available to diagnose TB. These screening tools tend to be expensive, rely on specialist training and require a laboratory setup. Because of this, many TB patients go unrecorded because these screenings simply are not accessible or are under too much demand. Wadhwani AI’s solution is an AI-based diagnostic tool that analyses the sound of a patient’s cough and identifies probable cases of TB. This tool is available as an app, both for health care workers and for people looking to test at home.

Line Probe Assay

Another branch of TRACE-TB is improving the expediency of recording the results of Line Probe Assay (LPA) strips. LPA strips help diagnose cases of drug-resistant TB. Manual testing for this is done at one of only 64 labs across India, which are able to perform around 400,000 tests annually. Not only is this a highly insufficient rate of testing, but the manual process is subject to clerical issues. Due to this overburdened system, many cases will have significant delays in their treatment. Using AI to rapidly evaluate LPA strip results greatly improves upon this response time. This initiative uses a “human-in-the-loop” as part of the process, having someone double-check when the algorithm is uncertain about the interpretation of the results.

Helping Cotton Farmers Fight Pest Infestations

Across the globe, the primary crop for almost 100 million farmers is cotton. Ninety percent of these farmers are from smallholding farms in poorer countries. India is the world’s largest cotton producer (26% of the global output), and is a massive source of employment in the country. Not only are there 5.8 million cotton farmers in India, but a further 40 to 50 million work in the processing or trading of cotton.

Cotton is extremely vulnerable to pest infestations, and on average, Indian farmers lose around 30% of their crops annually. The acuteness of these losses are due to a combination of factors. Firstly, manually collecting data on infestations and then analysing it is very time-consuming, and often by the time that is done any counter-measures may no longer be effective. Secondly, there is a widespread lack of education amongst farmers about correct pesticide usage: using the wrong chemicals or spraying the incorrect amount can prove redundant to combating the infestation, and can be detrimental to the health of the farmers and the environment.

How It Works

Wadhwani AI’s initiative to help cotton farmers fight pest infestations is the CottonAce app. It is easily accessible, works offline and is available in nine languages.

Farmers install pheromone traps amongst their crops, which trap pests. They then upload images of the pests to the app and the AI algorithm identifies the pest and calculates how severe the infestation is. CottonAce generates instantaneous recommendations on which pesticide to use and how to best apply it. The app then shares the data with nearby farmers, creating an early-warning system for the area. CottonAce is a great example of a simple, easily scalable and highly accessible tool that can improve the security of the livelihoods of millions of people, and an easy-to-replicate example of using AI to fight poverty in India.

Assessing Students’ Literacy Skills

Vaachan Samiksha is an AI-based tool for assessing the oral literacy of students. India’s Annual Status of Education Report 2023 showed that more than half of grade five students struggled with reading texts designed for children aged three years below them. Typically, oral fluency is assessed by teachers individually, having students read a passage and then manually counting how often they mispronounce words. With millions of students to consider, this process is incredibly inefficient, fallible and provides very little information about the students’ needs. Wadhwani AI hopes to speed up this process and better gauge what individual students need via Vaachan Samiksha.

In partnership with the Gujarat government, 33,000 schools across the region are currently using the tool. Wadhwani AI developed an AI speech-to-text model that provides instantaneous transcription of the student during the literacy assessment and identifies the mispronounced terms. Multiple students are able to be assessed simultaneously, and the program can efficiently detect patterns in incorrect pronunciation and difficulties. This enables teachers to understand how and where each student is struggling with their oral-literacy, and helps to identify which students might need additional support. As of March 2025, the app has helped make more than 3.6 million assessments across Gujarat.

Closing Thoughts

Wadhwani AI’s work is a reminder that artificial intelligence isn’t only about high-tech labs or futuristic applications—it can be a powerful tool for solving real-world problems in low-resource settings. By designing practical, scalable solutions rooted in local needs, Wadhwani AI is helping shape a future where technology aids the critically underserved. As their programs continue to develop, they offer a compelling model for using AI to fight poverty in India and the potential for tackling global poverty with similar initiatives.

– Reuben Avis-Anciano

Reuben is based in Oxford, UK and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr