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data.org and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth Launch  “Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Inclusion” Challenge

Global Call Issued for Innovative AI Solutions at Inaugural Accelerate Conference

Press Release
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BOSTON, MA | June 6, 2024 – Today, the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and data.org launched the Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Inclusion Challenge (AI2AI Challenge), a global call for AI solutions to accelerate inclusion and economic empowerment.

The AI2AI Challenge will focus on inclusive growth, ensuring that the benefits of this rapidly advancing data technology extend to all segments of society. Organizations will be considered for their innovative AI solutions that have demonstrated success and are ready to scale with additional funding and technical assistance.

“Five years ago, we made an early bet on the power of data to advance social impact. Those early investments laid a foundation for the growing field of Impact Data Science and have contributed to the demand for similar interventions for AI. Today, we are proud to be working with data.org to incentivize safe and trustworthy AI applications that empower communities and people. This challenge will shine a light on scalable solutions that help realize the promise and potential for AI to benefit society,” said Shamina Singh, Founder & President of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.

“In the age of AI, working collaboratively across disciplines to tackle challenges like inclusive growth and climate has never been more urgent,” said Danil Mikhailov, executive director of data.org. “This is data.org’s fourth global challenge—and second with Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth—to source, support, and scale breakthrough solutions, with more than 2,000 applications worldwide submitted to date. With each challenge, we not only grow our network of peers and partners, but we also learn more about how to most effectively build capacity, empower local communities, and ultimately build the field of data and AI for social impact.”

Challenge applicants can learn more and apply on the data.org website. The deadline for submissions is July 18, 2024, at 11:00 pm UTC, after which time a panel of distinguished, expert judges bringing experience in AI at the frontier of social impact and industry, will review submissions, with winners announced by early 2025. Confirmed judges include:

Challenge awardees will receive grant funding to develop and scale their solutions, access to technical expertise and mentorship from Mastercard and data.org teams, and opportunities with select Mastercard’s resources and programs, such as Start Path, to further support their approaches. Additional support for the Challenge will come from Dasra, a strategic philanthropy foundation based in India.

The challenge was first announced by Singh at the Global Inclusive Growth Summit on April 18, 2024. Today, the Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Inclusion Challenge launches during the Accelerate: Data for Social Impact Conference, hosted by data.org in partnership with the Harvard Data Science Initiative.

About the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise, and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs, and empower a community of thinkers, leaders, and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth. For more information and to receive its latest insights, follow the Center on LinkedIn, Instagram and subscribe to its newsletter.  

About data.org

data.org is accelerating the power of data and AI to solve some of our greatest global challenges. Launched in 2020 by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Rockefeller Foundation, data.org is building the field of data for social impact and expanding access to the tools, talent, and emerging technologies needed to create sustainable and equitable change.    

A global organization, data.org convenes and coordinates across sectors to support and advance visionary—yet practical—solutions to drive impact, through data.

Media Contacts

Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth:
Jessica Jeng-Mitchell
Jessica.Jeng-Mitchell@mastercard.com  

data.org:
Emma Marty 
emma@data.org