Overview : UN Global Pulse is the Secretary-General’s initiative on big data and artificial intelligence for development, humanitarian action, and peace.Its Vision is to contribute to a future in which big data and artificial intelligence are harnessed safely and responsibly for the public good. Its mission is to accelerate discovery, development and scaled adoption of big data innovation for sustainable development and humanitarian action. Global Pulse is building a catalytic network of in-country innovation centres, which will test new tools, data and analysis, share what lessons with the global community, mainstream successful approaches for real-time impact monitoring into policymaking. The first Lab has been established in New York (Pulse Lab New York) followed by Jakarta, Indonesia, and Kampala, Uganda. Pulse Lab Kampala (http://www.unglobalpulse.org/kampala) is an inter-agency initiative under the leadership of the Office of the Resident Coordinator in Uganda. The first of its kind in Africa, it brings together researchers from Government, the UN, non-governmental organizations and private sector to explore the utility of new sources of digital “Big Data” (such as social media, mobile data, online information) and real-time analysis techniques for social development monitoring and program planning. |