We’ve recorded quite a few podcasts recently about the problems AI does and may create, now and in the future. We’ve talked about AI safety, alignment, bias and fairness.

These are important topics, and we’ll continue to discuss them, but I also think it’s important not to lose sight of the value that AI and tools like it bring to the world in the here and now. So for this episode of the podcast, I spoke with Dr Yan Li, a professor who studies data management and analytics, and the co-founder of Techies Without Borders, a nonprofit dedicated to using tech for humanitarian good. Yan has firsthand experience developing and deploying technical solutions for use in poor countries around the world, from Tibet to Haiti.