J-PAL Launches AI Initiative to Combat Poverty

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT will evaluate AI solutions to address social challenges.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT has awarded funding to eight new research studies to understand how artificial intelligence innovations can be used in the fight against poverty through its new Project AI Evidence (PAIE) initiative. PAIE will identify which AI solutions work and for whom, and scale only the most effective, inclusive, and responsible solutions, while scaling down those that may potentially cause harm.

Why it matters

The age of AI has brought wide-ranging optimism and skepticism about its effects on society. To realize AI's full potential, PAIE will generate evidence on what works by connecting governments, tech companies, and nonprofits with world-class economists to evaluate and improve AI solutions to entrenched social challenges.

The details

PAIE will run a series of funding competitions to invite proposals for evaluations of AI tools that address questions like: Do AI-assisted teaching tools help all children learn? How can early-warning flood systems help people affected by natural disasters? Can machine learning algorithms help reduce deforestation in the Amazon? Can AI-powered chatbots help improve people's health?

  • PAIE was launched in February 2026.

The players

J-PAL

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT, a network of researchers that has led over 2,500 rigorous evaluations of social policies and programs around the world.

Google.org

The philanthropic arm of Google that is financially supporting PAIE.

Community Jameel

A philanthropic organization that is providing financial support for PAIE.

International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

A Canadian government agency that is providing a grant to support PAIE.

UK International Development

A government agency that is collaborating with PAIE.

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What they’re saying

“we're thrilled to collaborate with MIT and J-PAL, already leaders in this space, on Project AI Evidence. AI has great potential to benefit all people, but we urgently need to study what works, what doesn't, and why, if we are to realize this potential.”

— Alex Diaz, head of AI for social good at Google.org (Mirage News)

“Artificial intelligence holds extraordinary potential, but only if the tools, knowledge, and power to shape it are accessible to all - that includes contextually grounded research and evidence on what works and what does not. That is why IDRC is proud to be supporting this new evaluation work as part of our ongoing commitment to the responsible scaling of proven safe, inclusive, and locally relevant AI innovations.”

— Maggie Gorman-Velez, vice president of strategy, regions, and policies at IDRC (Mirage News)

“J-PAL has a long history of evaluating innovative technology and its ability to improve people's lives. While AI has incredible potential, we need to maximize its benefits and minimize possible harms. We're grateful to our donors, sponsors, and collaborators for their catalytic support in launching PAIE, which will help us do exactly that by continuing to expand evidence on the impacts of AI innovations.”

— Iqbal Dhaliwal, J-PAL Global Executive Director (Mirage News)

What’s next

J-PAL is seeking new collaborators who share its vision of discovering and scaling up real-world AI solutions. It aims to support more governments and social sector organizations that want to adopt AI responsibly, and will continue to expand funding for new evaluations and provide policy guidance based on the latest research.

The takeaway

By rigorously evaluating the impacts of AI innovations, PAIE aims to ensure that AI is used in a way that maximizes benefits and minimizes potential harms for the most vulnerable populations, helping to combat poverty and inequality around the world.