XC-01 · Cross-cutting
AI & Human Development Initiative
Evidence on how artificial intelligence changes learning and care in low-resource settings, and how to make it fair.
AI tools are spreading into schools, clinics and households across Africa, often ahead of evidence and regulation. The Initiative brings together researchers from our Health Policy and Education Policy departments to test what these tools actually do for learners, patients and frontline workers, and to advise on rules that protect people without blocking useful innovation.
Research themes
AI for learning
AI tutors, lesson-planning support for teachers, and automated assessment in crowded or under-staffed classrooms.
AI for care
Decision support for nurses and community health workers, triage, and disease surveillance.
Language and inclusion
Whether tools work in local languages, for learners with disabilities, and for people with little connectivity.
Data and governance
Privacy of children's and patients' data, accountability for errors, and public-sector rules for AI, including Cameroon's 2024 personal data protection law.
Questions we are asking
- Do AI tutors improve learning for the weakest students, or widen the gap?
- Can AI support make community health workers more accurate without adding to their workload?
- What safeguards should ministries require before AI tools enter public schools and clinics?