Microsoft recently added an AI-powered suggestion to its internet search results, recommending a public food bank in Calgary, Alberta, as one of its most “cannot miss” tourist destinations for people visiting Canada.
This suggestion wasn’t put forward as a publicity stunt or a way to drum up donations. Instead, it was an algorithm-based effort to get people with limited resources to the places they need to go to survive.
The AI-powered recommendation is just one example of how technology can be used to help marginalized populations. The basic premise behind the suggestion is both simple and powerful: if people are having trouble finding the resources they need to stay alive, then putting them in front of AI-powered results is a way to get them to the right place.
For those unfamiliar with Canada, the Calgary food bank is a nonprofit organization that helps those in need access free meals and grocery items. It is one of many organizations around the country that work to ensure those facing a food-insecurity crisis have access to the resources they need to maintain.
This move by Microsoft follows a trend set by many tech companies of using artificial intelligence to do more than just suggest products or services. The growing prevalence of AI means that companies have the ability to apply technology to issues that are impacting the world around us and use it to come up with solutions.
This suggestion marks yet another effort to use technology to provide a level of assistance when resources have been stretched thin. Not only does it help those in need, it also serves as a reminder that technology can come with tangible and real-world applications.
Whether this will catch on with other tourist destination providers remains to be seen. However, the thought-provoking nature of it suggests that it’s only a matter of time before more companies start to take a more compassionate approach to AI-powered recommendations.
