01: Introduction to AI & SDG Context

Goal: Build your team’s shared understanding of AI and connect your mission to SDG 3.

1.1 What is AI?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence — such as recognizing patterns, understanding language, making predictions, or generating new content.

AI is not magic. It relies on data, rules, and probabilities. The key is to match the right AI approach to the right problem.

Two types relevant to your work:

Type	What It Does	Example
Predictive AI	Uses data to forecast outcomes	Predicting which patients are most at risk of dropping out of a rehabilitation program
Generative AI	Creates new outputs (text, images, speech, code)	Drafting personalized therapy exercise plans based on a patient’s journey map

1.2 Why AI Matters for Social Impact

Resource efficiency — Automate repetitive work like scheduling or reporting
Personalization — Deliver more tailored support to each beneficiary
Early alerts — Detect problems (e.g., disengagement, risks) earlier than staff can
Scale — Extend services to more people without proportional staff increases

Even if your organization does not have a dedicated tech team, you can still benefit from AI. Today’s tools are low-code/no-code and can be integrated with systems you already use.

1.3 Understanding SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-Being)

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 aims to:

“Ensure healthy lives & promote well-being for all at all ages.”

Relevant sub-targets include:

3.4 — Reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health