Artificial Intelligence is Coming for the Program Officer

Program Officers are responsible for identifying the best possible projects through a process involving fielding and analyzing requests. Inputs for this process are numerous and vary by foundation. The process is more art than science. And given the inexact science and room for subjectivity on behalf of the program officers, there is certainly room for improvement. Even disruption at scale.

One such disruption is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to inform the decision making process of a foundation. The amount of data, networks, systems and data points an AI-based system goes well beyond that which a program officer, or even a team of program officers, can realistically offer.

The greatest barrier to incorporating AI into the funding decision matrix is the lack of access and inability of current systems to synthesize data. Given the right access, AI could easily mesh key data points from the IRS, Candid.org, social media, chat boards and ratings sites to form a meaningful decision point to assist program officers in making funding decisions.

In order for this to materialize, we need more connected datasets and more transparent, readily-available and accessible information about non-profit organizations. If this data is stored behind paywalls such as Candid.org and on antiquated IRS databases it will continue to be both difficult and expensive to obtain insights and guidance toward the best and most impactful funding decision.

The pandemic has laid bare the fact that we can not shift back to our existing systems. We need a wholesale transformation in the way we capture, utilize, communicate, display, monopolize, manage, finesse and present data. ChatGPT offers a quick solution to this challenge. This will lead to greater transparency, greater levels of involvement by everyone in society. 

Program officers should strive to harness this evolving power. Systems and networks should look to catalyze movements to advance the field by incorporating data into the process. 

Financial advisors are being replaced by AI. Even physicians are now outmatched by the ability of AI to detect cancerous tumors. Certainly it will only be a matter of time before Program Officers are also outmatched by the ability of AI to identify the most impactful program for a foundation to support, will they not?