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The slow lane: Dutch app allows elderly to 'hack' traffic lights

Gordon Darroch

July 12, 2017 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Tilburg, North Brabant

In the Netherlands, city councils are piloting remarkable new technology to make roads safer and friendlier for cyclists and pedestrians through the use of apps that improve the efficiency and sensitivity of traffic lights to the elderly, disabled, and young children. Improved traffic flow is a key part of the way forward into a greener, safer urban future.

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Thailand's Disease Detectives

Ruth Evans

July 11, 2017 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Thailand, Chiang Mai

"Poor man Instagram" is how vets at Chiang Mai University describe their system of pandemic preparedness and emergency prevention. Recruiting community members throughout the region to be disease detectives, the scientists train these volunteers to use a mobile app that allows them to document dead animals that may have been sick with an illness that could pose a threat to humans. When scientists are alerted of cases, they are then able to investigate and intervene if the situation merits danger.

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How Artificial Intelligence Could Democratize Financial Services In Asia

Casey Hynes

July 03, 2017 |

Forbes |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Pakistan, Lahore

The rapid evolution of technology is continually opening new doors for how microfinance projects can be implemented, improved, and scaled. The team at ADDO A.I. sees artificial intelligence as the catalyst for both microfinance and microinsurance in the emerging markets of Asia. A.I. reduces the need for human assessments, facilitating faster pay-outs and reduced losses through predictive data, while combining information such as financial histories and social media activity with historic context data to create fair, realistic risk assessments that lead to improved credit products.

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Artificial Intelligence and Decarbonization

Mark Harris

July 01, 2017 |

Anthropocene Magazine |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Amsterdam

As electric utilities expand to include evolving forms of energy such as varied renewables, the already complex puzzle of storage and distribution (effectively addressing surges and lulls in demand) has grown more difficult. Artificial intelligence in the form of super speed algorithms that can detect usage patterns and allocate the right types of energy at the right times is a straightforward solution that can reduce costs and emissions simultaneously, while encouraging consumer behavior change to maximize efficiency.

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California decided it was tired of women bleeding to death in childbirth

Julia Belluz

June 29, 2017 |

Vox |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

The USA is seeing rising maternal mortality rates in recent years. It shows higher rates than most developed countries, in part due to the country's lack of attention to women's health. California is reversing this trend through their California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) which analyzes data and then uses it to make recommendations and "toolkits" for hospitals to be prepared should an emergency arise in childbirth.

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This Online Lender Uses Data Analytics To Serve Borrowers Who Lack Credit Scores

Jessica Goodheart

June 29, 2017 |

FastCompany |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Redwood City, California

Historically, banks have been largely hesitant to give small loans to individuals, particularly those with little or no credit history, which includes many immigrants and minorities. But an institution called Oportun is willing to bet on the underserved while still staying profitable as a business - they provide increased access to loans by leveraging a solid screening process, online resources, and credit score support for their customers.

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AI Is a Game-Changer in the Fight Against Hunger and Poverty. Here's Why

Joseph Bennington-Castro

June 21, 2017 |

NBC News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Stanford, California

Beyond its common application as a predictor of consumer purchasing behavior, AI can be utilized to tackle poverty issues, improve agricultural efficiency, and increase access to information for otherwise disconnected populations. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are putting global satellite photographs into a complex algorithm to gauge economic activity.

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Creating a Better Community Through Text Messages

Krutika Pathi

June 14, 2017 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

For urban residents, participation in city-planning often means navigating complex administrative bureaucracy and struggling through a lack of transparency, but in New York City, efforts are being made to engage citizens in the renewal (and preservation) of Brownsville, Brooklyn. The city’s Housing Department has worked with the online platform coUrbanize to facilitate community-sourced ideas for the future via text. These residents’ responses are then inputted into a publicly-accessible map, which the city has pledged to incorporate into its planning.

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311: From a Hotline to a Platform for Citizen Engagement

Tod Newcombe

June 01, 2017 |

Government Technology |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kansas City, Missouri

Boston's 311 mobile application, launch in 2009, exemplifies the new customer service-oriented era of the citizen service, which allows users to request services, take photos of potholes, and offer data to city planners. Neighboring Somerville, Massachusetts has a successful 311 app of its own, where an analytics team crunches the wealth of data generated by the app service. But Kansas City, Missouri's 311 services are even more developed, and citizens can access the city via the app, clal-in, Twitter, and social media.

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The Future of CRM and Customer Service: Look to Boston

Tod Newcombe

June 01, 2017 |

Government Technology |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

To better serve the Boston community, the city launched a mobile app to address gaps in traditional 311 hotline calls. Now, "nearly 60 percent of service requests come via digital channels" and city officials are better able to "track the city’s performance against a benchmark service-level agreement."

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