The focus of the U. S. global development agency remains on the opportunities and potential challenges brought about by artificial intelligence (AI). Following the unveiling of a democracy, human rights, and governance policy by USAID on Thursday, Administrator Samantha Power emphasized the need to utilize technology to strengthen democracy while staying vigilant regarding its potential for harm. In her remarks about the policy, Power highlighted how technologies like AI and spyware could assist authoritarians, while systems like facial recognition could be employed to suppress dissent and silence critics. "This policy broadens our toolkit to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology that could be turned against citizens, " Power stated during her speech. "As the agency's inaugural statement on digital democracy, it formalizes our commitment to confront the rise of digital repression at its root. We are collaborating with legal experts, judges, lawmakers, and oversight organizations to develop national strategies and standards for the use of technologies. " Power also mentioned initiatives aimed at increasing transparency regarding the utilization of new technological platforms and data, as well as raising awareness about their potential to manipulate individuals. This announcement followed Isobel Coleman, the agency's deputy administrator, speaking about AI and its potential impact at the Global AI Leadership Summit. Coleman extensively discussed the potential of AI, particularly citing use cases implemented in Mexico and India. "Artificial intelligence can be helpful. It can quickly identify patterns that humans couldn't recognize in a lifetime, which can then inform our scaling of responses, " said Coleman, according to a released transcript of the speech.

"However, it is important to acknowledge the disparities in capability and capacity for digital tools, specifically AI, between the Global North and the Global South. " Coleman cautioned that this technology could exacerbate inequality between these regions and stressed the importance of human involvement in AI deployment while fortifying digital ecosystems, including data and workforce. In the same vein, Power met with Dario Amodei, CEO of AI company Anthropic, to explore the application of AI in global development. The discussion encompassed various use cases for the technology. Anthropic did not provide a comment upon request. "Administrator Power and Mr. Amodei discussed AI applications relevant to global health and reducing administrative burdens for USAID implementing partners, including those that disproportionately affect local organizations. They also explored opportunities to improve access to AI tools in underserved regions, " stated Shejal Pulivarti, an acting spokesperson for the agency. Pulivarti further added, "Administrator Power highlighted USAID's initiatives to strengthen digital and information ecosystems and forge partnerships to shape a responsible global AI agenda. " USAID has clearly expressed its interest in examining both the potential opportunities and limitations of AI in the field of international development, as evidenced by its AI use case inventory and AI action plan. Power's meeting with Amodei follows a June meeting with Anna Makanju, vice president of global affairs at OpenAI.