I live in an emerging economy. And it has always been an emerging economy ever since I was born. Everywhere, on the streets of the capital, there are homeless kids and adults who are asking for help. I can probably say that poverty is an issue that has surrounded me ever since I was born.

So I was curious as to how artificial intelligence could be used to solve the issue of poverty, specially in my country.

I asked ChatGPT specifically what it thought about this issue with this prompt: “How can AI or artificial intelligence help alleviate poverty on a global scale? How effective will AI be in addressing the problem of poverty?”

(Thinking about it now, my question is actually much closer to “What does ChatGPT think about AI solving the problem of poverty on a global scale?”.)

Here is its answer —

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AI, when applied strategically and ethically, has the potential to make a significant impact in alleviating poverty on a global scale. Here are several ways in which AI can contribute to poverty reduction:

1. Enhanced Access to Education: AI-powered platforms can provide personalized and adaptive learning experiences, even in resource-constrained areas. This technology can help bridge the education gap by delivering quality education to underserved populations, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to escape poverty.
   
2. Improved Healthcare Services: AI can enhance healthcare accessibility by assisting in diagnostics, early detection, and remote monitoring of diseases. Intelligent systems can provide accurate and timely diagnoses, recommend treatments, and support healthcare professionals in areas with limited medical resources, ensuring better healthcare outcomes for impoverished communities.
   
3. Efficient Resource Allocation: AI algorithms can optimize resource allocation in areas such as agriculture, water management, and infrastructure development. By analyzing data and patterns, AI can help optimize resource distribution, reduce waste, and improve the efficiency of poverty eradication efforts.
   
4. Financial Inclusion: AI-powered fintech solutions can extend financial services to unbanked populations, enabling access to credit, savings, and insurance. Machine learning algorithms can assess creditworthiness using alternative data, leading to increased financial inclusion and opportunities for entrepreneurial ventures.
   
5. Job Creation and Economic Growth: While concerns about job displacement exist, AI also has the potential to create new jobs and drive economic growth. AI technologies can fuel innovation, leading to the emergence of new industries and employment opportunities. Upskilling programs can prepare individuals for jobs in AI-related fields, fostering inclusive economic development.
   
6. Data-Driven Decision Making: AI’s ability to analyze vast amounts of data quickly and accurately can support evidence-based policy-making and poverty reduction strategies. By leveraging AI insights, governments and organizations can identify areas of need, tailor interventions, and track the effectiveness of poverty alleviation initiatives.

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Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/bionic-hand-and-human-hand-finger-pointing-6153354/

I am not very well-informed to actually comment on the accuracy of its response, but if indeed, these are the potential contributions of AI on alleviating poverty, that would be great. I would like to believe that indeed, AI can indeed address the very big, and very important, problem of poverty.

The greatest challenge, I believe, of any emergent technology is to make sure that its power and its benefits trickle down significantly to the marginalized within our society.