We are living through a time of historic challenge and opportunity. The world faces ongoing economic, social, and geopolitical volatility. At the same time, we have entered a new age of AI that will fundamentally transform productivity for every individual, organisation, and industry on earth, and help us address some of our most pressing challenges.  We need to be sure we all can be a democratising force for this new generation of technology, helping unlock its opportunities while mitigating its risks.

We also have a responsibility to ensure economic growth and opportunity reaches every person, organisation, and community.

AI has the potential to transform the social sector by enabling non-profits and social organisations to generate novel and diverse solutions, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of core functions and support beneficiaries in a more impactful way. For example, generative AI can help create personalised and engaging content for fundraising, advocacy, and education; generate realistic and ethical simulations for training, testing, and evaluation; and produce synthetic data for research, innovation, and privacy protection (just to name a few).

But before this can happen we need to understand what AI is and how it can be integrated into our organisation.

In this interactive workshop, you will learn about the basics of AI, its applications, and challenges in the social sector, and how Microsoft can help you access and use AI tools and solutions to advance your mission. You will explore what AI is and how it can help you achieve your social goals. You will learn about the fundamentals and applications of AI, its benefits, and limitations, and how to assess and address AI opportunities and challenges for your organisation.  We will also explore some of the AI tools and solutions currently on offer and help you access and use AI in a responsible, ethical and effective way. The workshop will include interactive sessions with Microsoft professionals who will share their insights and experiences with AI to give you a hands-on experience with tools and applications.

The intention of the workshop is to help you better understand how AI tools can help you and your organisation. By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand the basics of AI and its potential and limitations for social good

• Identify the opportunities and challenges of using AI in your organisation and sector

• Explore the AI tools and solutions and how to access and use them

• Connect with other not-for-profit leaders who are interested or experienced in using AI for social good

• Ask questions and get feedback from Microsoft experts and peers.