Fiona Kastel, Senior Research Associate,   Sanchi Lokhande, Research Associate, 3ie

Topic: The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation

(3ie) is advancing the use of artificial intelligence to strengthen development evidence. Our Data Innovations Group is testing machine learning and foundational AI models to overcome persistent challenges in impact evaluations, such as incomplete ground data, fragile environments, and hard-to-measure outcomes.

Through case studies in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Bangladesh, and Malawi, we demonstrate how AI methods, ranging from support vector machines and logistic regression classifiers to convolutional neural networks and SAMGeo, can reliably detect agricultural and aquaculture changes from satellite imagery. These innovations enable us to measure crop yields, fishpond expansion, and food security outcomes with greater accuracy and at scale, supplementing and enhancing traditional impact evaluations.

By embedding AI techniques into rigorous evaluation designs, 3ie is helping policymakers and funders answer pressing questions about what works in development, with faster, more granular, and cost-effective evidence.