GAIA staff in the US use AI extensively. GAIA staff in Malawi use it more sparingly. But we expect that to change: over the next two years, AI use is likely to increase substantially in Malawi and across sub-Saharan Africa.

In the US, GAIA staff do considerable research and writing related to strategic planning, operations, and fundraising. AI has proven extremely useful in augmenting our small US team. We primarily use ChatGPT (“Chatty”), although we also have a Claude account.

We have also begun using AI for detailed analysis of the extensive electronic health records GAIA collects, and to provide insights and suggestions based on those data. Any AI-generated analysis or advice needs to be independently checked, particularly when it relates to healthcare, but we have found the insights extremely useful.

Earlier this year, GAIA US applied to Anthropic to receive a “Claude Fellow”—an AI specialist who would be embedded with GAIA for 12 months to help us implement AI effectively. We were not selected in the first round, but were invited to keep our application active for two additional rounds in 2027.

In Malawi, AI is currently used more sporadically by GAIA staff, primarily for document editing. But a number of major initiatives underway in Africa suggest that this could change quickly:

• Both OpenAI and Anthropic are involved in initiatives testing health-related applications of AI in Africa, including Rwanda, with the potential for broader deployment. Google, the Gates Foundation, and others are supporting additional AI and health initiatives across the continent.
  
  
• OpenEvidence, a leading AI-powered clinical information platform for physicians in the US, has announced plans to expand access in lower-income countries at free or substantially reduced cost. Tools like this could eventually give clinicians in places such as Malawi rapid access to clinical knowledge and decision support that has historically been difficult to obtain.
  
  
• Numerous funders are explicitly supporting AI applications in healthcare, including the OpenAI Foundation, Gates Foundation, and Novo Nordisk Foundation (which by some accounting are the three largest charitable philanthropies in the world). Recent initiatives are particularly focused on determining how AI can safely and effectively support frontline health workers and strengthen healthcare delivery in low- and middle-income countries.

Caution is warranted in implementing AI, particularly in healthcare. AI tools can make mistakes, and their recommendations need appropriate clinical oversight. But in an environment such as Malawi—where shortages of physicians and other health professionals are severe—the potential benefits are considerable. AI will not replace trained health professionals, but it could make scarce health professionals substantially more effective and extend access to expertise in places where that expertise is currently unavailable.