Jerry Tuan at the AI for Good Conference organized by UN International Telecommunication Union. Photo: CARE
Jerry Tuan at the AI for Good Conference organized by UN International Telecommunication Union. Photo: CARE
Technology deepens our impact, empowers staff delivering our programs, and enhances CARE’s efficiency, accountability, and effectiveness.
As technology plays an ever-increasing role in the way the world operates, CARE Chief Information Officer, Jerry Tuan is leading CARE’s efforts to leverage the power of AI for social good.
In this conversation, Jerry shares his background, excitement and vision for AI for humanitarian aid and at CARE.
Can you share more about your early years? What sparked your interest in technology and what shaped your journey?
“I was born in Taiwan. It was a unique place with a diverse culture and language, different cuisines, and different ways of thinking. I have always been interested in engineering. But the environment that I grew up in helped me to understand different people, different perspectives and how, with different cultures coming together, you can benefit each other.”
There’s a lot of talk about AI lately, including for social good. How do you define AI?
“AI is not a robot, a line of code, or a program. AI is a reflection of us. It’s like looking in a mirror and the reflection is the collective knowledge and experience of human beings over thousands of years. We’re leveraging computers to let this knowledge have a life of its own. So, AI is us. I never view AI as a third party.”
What excites you the most about how the humanitarian sector, including CARE, can tap into the power of AI?
“I believe education and health are the two areas that AI can really help humans. Education is my passion, and I fundamentally believe that education is the best way to enable people to be what they can be. With AI, you can tailor content based on your learning history, your culture, your interest areas… tailor an education program for each individual. For health, you can use AI to help doctors determine a diagnosis or operate with precision that a human being can usually not achieve.”
Is there a digital project at CARE that you’re most proud of?
I’m most proud of and excited about the joint venture with Microsoft to analyze CARE’s humanitarian action survey. There were thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lines and comments and input. We put these survey results into an AI engine in the Microsoft Azure Cloud and it came back with findings, summaries, and recommendations in minutes. It’s so impactful pulling tens of thousands of information and turning it into a meaningful result so teams can take action.
What are you and your team doing to drive AI adoption at CARE?
We’ve made significant strides in AI adoption and governance in the past year. We first established AI usage guidelines for staff to ensure consistent and ethical use of AI tools. We then launched the AI Advisory Council with 8 industry leaders to guide our strategic approach, which I’m really excited about. We also have an internal AI Taskforce to accelerate innovative projects, including how to evolve chatbots to incorporate generative AI to provide custom information to program participants. There’s so much potential to tap into the power of AI and CARE is on the right path to do it responsibly.
How can CARE best approach digital projects and partnerships?
Let’s try not to always build something on our own. If a peer organization is already working on something with a tech partner – we can contribute and participate. CARE doesn’t always need to own everything. We can be a valuable contributor.
What advice do you have for people who seek to work at the intersection of technology and social impact?
Always keep learning. Exploring and understanding things and form different ways of thinking. I think that’s the most enjoyable part of life. Also, think twice before you believe something is real [on the Internet]. Don’t just take it in!
Final question. What’s one word to describe AI?
“Amazing!”
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Partner with CARE to drive innovative AI solutions that empower communities and create lasting social impact. To learn more, email: digitalimpact@care.org
