Google is excited to launch our second call for applications to join a collaborative NGO + academic AI for Social Good workshop.
Apply using this form.
We invite applications from NGOs working in India and countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia-Pacific.
Apply using this form
We invite applications from Academics working in AI and related fields from universities around the world
If you are selected to participate, the workshop will be held virtually during December 2020, exact dates to be communicated soon.
Are projects that use non-Google technologies and platforms eligible?
Yes - projects are not required to use Google technology.
Who does the IP belong to for the models created during the process?
NGOs and academic researchers that partner to collaborate will determine the specifics of the IP. It is our hope that any researcher(s) who benefit from this gift will consider releasing any code or data from their project under an open source permissive license such as the Apache license.
What if I still have questions after reading the FAQs?
Reach out to aiforsocialgood-workshop@google.com for any questions.
Will details of the project idea we submit be kept confidential?
No. Google will not treat your application as confidential or proprietary, and the details of your project may be shared with internal or external experts to evaluate your proposal.Please do not submit any proprietary or confidential information in your application.
What do you mean by AI? What does it mean to apply AI for social good?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and its sub-category machine learning (ML) differ from traditional programming by allowing you to teach your program with examples rather than a list of logical instructions. By running examples through an algorithm to train a model, the program will learn which outputs to attach to which inputs. For example, an ML model may learn to predict a sports team's performance based on their past record. This model can then generate predictions about previously unseen data.
AI models can range from multiple linear regressions run in a spreadsheet to sophisticated deep learning algorithms run on AI platforms, and we are open to applications across this spectrum, as long as they aim to help address a societal problem. AI can be applied in many contexts. Some examples of projects Google.org has previously supported can be found on the Google AI Impact Challenge website and on the Google India blog.
For organizations interested in learning more about how they can get started with AI for Social Good, check out this toolkit.
If my NGO successfully establishes a partnership with an academic research group, will we have to share access to our data or IP?
A successful collaboration between an academic institution and NGO may entail data sharing between the two organizations, so please keep this in mind as you consider what problems and datasets might be best suited for this work. Google.org believes that projects supported by our funding should be able to benefit everyone. If you are selected to receive a possible grant, the standard grant agreement will require that any intellectual property created with grant funding from Google.org be made available for free to the public under a permissive open source license.
I am an academic with expertise in AI with deep interest in applying it for societal benefit, but I don’t have experience in doing so, can I apply?
Yes - we welcome interest from researchers motivated to apply their expertise in partnership with an NGO. We are not requiring academic researchers to apply with their own AI for social good projects, dataset, or NGO partner, although we welcome you to do so.