How tech innovations are enabling universal access to information.

In today’s globalised world, digital connectivity is practically a prerequisite for equal participation in society. Digital technology allows people to connect easily to vital services, such as healthcare, online banking and risk warnings, and to source information within seconds. Despite this, there remain 2.6 billion digitally disconnected people around the world, the majority of them in developing countries.

The disconnected largely belong to historically disadvantaged groups. While every community is different, the digital divide consistently reflects and amplifies existing social, economic and cultural inequalities such as gender, age, race, income and ability. Groups that are known to be disproportionately affected therefore include women and girls, people with disabilities and refugees.

Without equitable digital access, these groups struggle to assert themselves in a world that relies on digital access. This is why digital inclusion is seen as a crucial consideration for achieving sustainable and equitable global development as part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Specially-designed tech and artificial intelligence innovations in the field of international development can play an important role in improving digital inclusion. For example, GIF investee Viamo’s latest innovation, Ask Viamo Anything, enables its users, many of whom are illiterate, to ask questions on important topics and receive accurate answers via voice technology. They can do so using a simple non-smartphone at zero cost and with no internet access.

This is made possible thanks to the integration of Generative AI, combined with a database of expert health, education and agricultural advice, into Viamo’s model. One beneficiary from Zambia describes how she has been able to ask “questions about the reproductive system, HIV and AIDS, about agricultural projects and educational programmes, and about gender-based violence.”

“It’s easier to use than WhatsApp and Facebook because you don’t have to have the internet,” she explains. “Just call, ask any question, and it will be free and it will help you. [I’ve used] the information about agriculture to help in my class academics.” 

GIF led Viamo’s Series A funding round, investing $1.5 million in 2021, with follow-on funding of $460k in 2023. This funding has enabled Viamo to deepen its operations with target beneficiaries and to expand its product offerings with innovations like Ask Viamo Anything, with the goal of improving access to information, education and vital services for disconnected communities around the world.

One of GIF’s most recent investees, Komunidad, is also working to close the informational divide with respect to risk alerts for disconnected communities. Komunidad provides early weather warning systems and weather analytics platforms to climate-vulnerable localities in the developing world. 

Currently operating primarily in the Philippines, Komunidad’s suite of products includes innovative weather command centres that provide weather dashboards and visualisations and are powered to send SMS warnings to community leaders, enabling even those without internet access to inform their residents of danger.

Komunidad Weather Analytics Station in the Philippines

By supporting innovations such as Viamo and Komunidad, GIF hopes to contribute to closing the digital divide in line with the SDGs. By connecting the disconnected, and enabling them access to information, education, healthcare, risk warnings and more, we encourage a future of sustainable and equitable development for communities that may otherwise be left behind.