The National Lottery Community Fund has pledged to share the lessons learned from its use of artificial intelligence, as part of a raft of new AI principles.
The funder’s 10 AI principles include a pledge to share successes and failures from its AI experiments with the wider voluntary sector, to help charities and grantmakers learn about evolving technologies.
This comes after the grantmaker published guidance earlier this month for charities seeking to use AI in grant applications, in which it warned that while AI is a useful starting point, it can sometimes produce content that is “too generic”.
The NLCF has expanded its AI policies with new principles to “demonstrate our commitment to using AI to benefit people and communities”.
The principles include a pledge to share its learnings, including its successes and failures, from the “responsibly delivered small and safe experiments” it runs.
Speaking with Third Sector, Rosie Sowa, innovation manager at the grantmaker, said this was a starting point for a conversation about how charities could be using AI in different ways, such as supporting their staff or transforming their services.
Sowa said: “We’re already finding that we’re having applications from charities who are keen to explore the deployment of these technologies to transform their businesses. And I think that’s an area where we would like to also share more learning.”
The grantmaker will also host a free online event on 11 March about AI in the sector to “share learning and encourage collaboration”.
The principles also include a commitment to making sure AI works for people, by enabling people to do work that is “uniquely human and which they excel at”, while designing AI to emphasise these strengths.
The grantmaker also committed to always having a “human in the loop” to ensure that its AI tools operate safely, securely and appropriately for their intended purpose.
The other principles include remaining accountable for its work with AI, ensuring its use of AI is inclusive and leads to equitable outcomes, and monitoring the use of AI and its impact – which the grantmaker said includes knowing when not to employ it.
The grantmaker also committed to demonstrating transparency in the way it uses AI, both internally and externally, and to protect the privacy of its stakeholders, staff and customers.
The NCLF said it is committed to reviewing and, where needed, updating its AI principles every quarter, or more frequently if necessary.
Sarah Watson, head of innovation at the NLCF, said: “AI is set to be a gamechanger for charities and community groups, helping them to free up time to focus on supporting communities, and to think about bigger questions such as how we address the challenges facing society today.
“It has transformative potential for us as a funder and could free up time for us to focus on work that is uniquely human, such as listening to communities and our grant-holders.”
She said the NLCF believed that if AI was deployed in the right way it could be a “force for good”.
“We know that many other funders, community groups and organisations are thinking these issues through, so we would value an honest conversation to help develop and adapt our AI principles in line with learning from across the sector.”