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The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) seems inevitable, and for those subscribing to a techno-optimistic school of thought this can only translate into progress and potential solutions to the interconnected, and compounding challenges humanity faces. The pessimistic view is that AI’s breakthrough will aggravate existing challenges, leading to dystopian futures. While which side has it right remains to be seen, what is uncontested is that digital technologies underpin modern economies and societies, our personal lives and work environments, and data is the currency of 21st century.

As the title of a recent article put it, “Artificial Intelligence Is Coming for Philanthropy” and foundations need to urgently engage with the following questions as technology progresses exponentially. Whose values, ideas and assumptions are encoded in AI technologies? Can society drive developments in this space, and not the other way around? What are the trade-offs of technological optimisation for philanthropic organisations, and what risks digital dependencies pose?

These are big and complex questions, and there are no simple or one-size fits all answers. The riskier strategy seems to be to turn a blind eye and move directly into the ‘how’ adoption.

The Berlin programme aims to provide inspiring content on the bigger picture, learnings from practice, and open up space for reflection with peers from philanthropic organisations across Europe.