Abstract
This paper examines the bidirectional relationship between artificial intelligence and global philanthropy within emerging technocratic governance systems. Major foundations now deploy AI internally to transform operations—optimizing resource allocation and measuring impact through algorithmic systems—while simultaneously shaping global AI governance by funding research centers, establishing ethics guidelines, and convening policy dialogues. This dual role creates distinctive tensions as philanthropies navigate their position in an emerging technocratic order. The research investigates this relationship across diverse contexts, revealing how varied cultural approaches produce different governance ecosystems: philanthropic organizations introduce AI-driven initiatives in the Global South while adapting to local conditions, while alternative models from China present competing visions of technocratic philanthropy. Through analysis of multiple case studies, the paper identifies how philanthropic institutions function as experimental spaces where technological implementation directly shapes governance approaches. This analysis contributes to understanding how AI transforms philanthropic institutions while these organizations simultaneously influence the governance regimes emerging around these technologies. The findings illuminate the growing entanglement of technology, expertise, and philanthropy in global systems, revealing how philanthropic organizations both reinforce and reconfigure technocratic structures that prioritize data-driven expertise over traditional governance models in an increasingly AI-mediated world.
Presenters
Nick PozekPresident, Association for Conflict Resolution | Greater New York, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Artificial Intelligence, Philanthropy, Governance, Institutions, Technology
