Demystifying artificial intelligence for the global public interest: establishing responsible AI for international development through training

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword around the globe. For many, AI was once contained in high-tech labs and has now been released out into the world for the rest of us to use. Generative AI, which is what Microsoft, Apple, and OpenAI have recently offered, is only one version of AI – probably the one with the most ‘curb appeal’. In fact, AI dates to the 1950s and has offered much more banal – by today’s standards – innovations. This case study represents an effort to demystify popular notions of AI and take a first baby step toward developing AI literacy among international development practitioners. We offer two cases of courses that we developed to build appropriate bridges to the future, to show AI is not like the discovery of fire – a gift from the gods – but rather a technology that is a baby step forward in data analytics.