Disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and 3D printing will change philanthropy in coming years. They may provide new ways for non-profits to achieve their missions through more efficient operations, addressing novel issues, and radical transparency. Cryptocurrencies in particular could offer direct donations at scale but face challenges around volatility and regulation. Emerging technologies also risk exacerbating issues like inequality, biased algorithms, and an eroding public discourse if not addressed properly. Overall, disruptive technologies pose both opportunities and risks for philanthropic organizations that warrant careful consideration and planning.

1. 1
FUTURE:GOOD
How will disruptive technology change
philanthropy?
Rhodri Davies
Head of Policy & Programme Director, Giving Thought

2. Current Disruptive Technologies
2
Artificial Intelligence
Blockchain
Cryptocurrency
Big Data
3D Printing
Virtual & Augmented Reality
(VAR)
Internet of Things
(IoT)
Autonomous Vehicles &
Drones
CRISPR/ Biotech
Wearables
Robotics
Human
Augmentation
Quantum Computing

3. Why should funders and CSOs care
about disruptive tech?
3
New ways of achieving
mission
1)
Change the way
organisations operate
2)
Create new problems to
address
3)

4. AI for Good

5. Blockchain for good
5

6. VAR for Good

7. 7
Convergence: “Curing” Visual
Impairment?

8. Cryptocurrency & Blockchain
Technology
8
NB: ≠
Cryptocurrency is the best-known use case of blockchain tech
so far, but there are potentially far wider applications
A blockchain is a distributed public ledger: record of transactions
and ownership within a system, but without need for traditional
trusted 3rd party

9. Non-financial blockchain uses
9
Trustworthy ledgers are pretty important

10. What are the key feature of
blockchain tech?
10
Public
Immutable
UniversalDistributed
Secure
Inherently
digital

11. Civil Society Blockchain Possibilities
(part 1)
11
1) Disintermediation
• Reduced transaction
costs
• Direct cash transfers
at scale
• Increased trust?
2) Radical Transparency
• Ability to track donations
at all points
• Increased trust?
• Challenges in terms of
core costs etc
• What about justified
donor/beneficiary
anonymity?
3) All Kinds of Assets
• Any existing asset
can be recorded on
blockchain- tangible
or intangible
• Entirely new digital
assets can be
created- e.g. tokens

12. Civil Society Blockchain Possibilities
(part 2)
12
6) Real-time
financial info
• Immutable shared
ledger of transactions
• No need for separate
reporting regime
• No need for audit
4) Smart Contracts
• Self-executing computer
protocols that perform
defined functions when
set criteria are met
• Wide range of
applications e.g.
automated Payment by
Results, algorithmic
regulation
5) New governance models
• Distributed Autonomous
Organisations (DAOs)- networks of
individuals able to coordinate at
scale without centralisation by
using smart contracts etc.
• Challenge to traditional charitable
organisations?

13. Crypto-philanthropy: the opportunity
13
Proliferation of crypto, lots of
people making money:
Easy come, easy give?

14. Crypto-philanthropy: Challenges
14
1) Skills &
Understanding
 Low level of digital
skills in charities
 Blockchain/crypto
space full of jargon &
hype and can be
difficult to navigate
 Few successful
examples/case studies
2) Volatility &
Risk
3) Regulation
 Crypto is incredibly
volatile
 Hard to see how
holding crypto can
fit within risk
profile of most
charities
 Little clarity so far-
Some regulators
clamping down entirely,
others looking to
support innovation
 Particular challenges
around KYC/AML

15. Crypto-mining for charity
15
Mining: Contributing processor power to solve cryptographic problems as part
of the competitive process that maintains a blockchain based on a
proof-of-work consensus protocol e.g. Bitcoin
 Normally, miners get rewarded personally (e.g. with crypto)
 Instead, could they give reward to charity? E.g.
BUT: Growing concerns about environmental impact of crypto mining

16. Digital Assets
Cryptocurrencies Unique Digital Objects

17. Data & Transparency
“The world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but
data” The Economist (2017)

18. Radical Transparency?

19. Disintermediation & Decentralisation
Commercial
Platforms:
Social Good
Platforms:
Decentralised
movements:

20. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
20
Number of key factors in recent AI growth:
1)More powerful
algorithms
(Deep Learning)
2)Data explosion
3) Greater
processing
power (GPUs)
4)Investment
NB: Narrow/Domain
Specific AI, not Artificial
General Intelligence
(AGI)
Yes No

21. AI & Algorithmic Decision-Making
Social Impact
Robo-advisors
Philgorithms
Collective
Intelligence
philanthropy
Already here Still to come…?

22. Algorithmic Giving
22
“If you liked Cancer
Research UK, you’ll
love RNLI!”
Facebook/Amazon model: charity
recommendations based on past
preferences or peer group
behaviour
A.
Philgorithm: Wholly automated
process of matching needs and
interventions
B.

23. Are Philgorithms Feasible?
23
You can’t remove element of heart from charitable
giving, so this will never happen!
A) We will become accustomed to algorithmic advice in all
areas of life, so why not charity?
B) There will be contexts in which giving is only feasible
without human oversight e.g. Machine-to-Machine
(M2M) transactions
Objection:
Response?

24. A bit of context
24

25. How likely is this to take off?
25

26. No really, how likely?
26

27. The Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
economy
27
The IoT market is going to be huge, with vast numbers of M2M transactions
Q: Could we harness some of this for charity?

28. M2M Philanthropy?
28

29. M2M Philanthropy?
29

30. Algorithmic Bias
When machine learning algorithms are taught using data sets that contain statistical biases
for e.g. race, gender, they exhibit and strengthen those biases over time

31. Filter Bubbles
• Technology such as social media
allows us to build ‘filter bubbles’
around our experience
• Likely to get worse as increasing
reliance on AI-based interfaces
tailors our experience of the world
to fit existing preferences and
biases.

32. The Slow Death of Public Discourse?
 Rise of ‘fake news’ and targeted
propaganda/misinformation has eroded
notions of truth and fact
 Things might be about to get worse…
For
charities:
• Challenges in terms of using facts and evidence for advocacy
• Role to play in combatting erosion of truth (e.g. philanthropic
support for journalism).

33. The Attention Economy
“The only factor becoming scarce in a world of abundance is human attention.”
-Kevin Kelly
 Need to compete in this “attention economy” has led
to new problems:
How do charities compete for our attention without adopting techniques that
cause long-term harm?

34. Child Development
Current concerns:
Emerging concerns:
Future concerns?

35. Is this the real life, or is this just
fantasy…?
Behaviour within virtual
environments
 Most virtual environments are designed
specifically to allow people to escape
from reality
 This may include transgressive
behaviour
 But how far should we allow this to go?
Impact of virtual
environments on reality
 ‘Gamer rage’
 Neglect of physical health
 Dissociative identity
disorder

36. Inequality
Inequality already a massive economic problem
Key question for development of tech: does it reduce or increase
inequality?

37. Key Cross-Cutting Themes
37
Disintermediation Networks & Platforms
Filtered experience
Radical Transparency
Digital Assets
Algorithms Data, data, data
Urbanisation
Inequality
New models for social good
Attention Economy
Automation of work
Ageing Population

38. Key Questions for Civil Society about
Disruptive Technologies
38
Will it offer new ways for
existing CSOs to run more
efficiently or effectively?
Could it give rise to new kinds
of donations?
Will it make it easier or
harder to identify potential
donors?
Could it give rise to entirely
new classes of donors?
Will it offer new ways of
engaging donors and
supporters?
Could the development of
this technology itself be
seen as a charitable cause?
Could it create new ways for
existing CSOs to solve social &
environmental problems?
Could it disrupt the
existing governance
structures of CSOs?
Could it create entirely new
problems that CSOs will have to
address?
Will it reduce or increase
inequality?
Could it create new challenges
for existing beneficiaries?
Will it lead to new
organisations emerging to
compete with existing CSOs?

39. Where to find more
39
CAF Giving Thought think tank and Future:Good project
CAF Giving Thought Podcast
@Rhodri_H_Davies

40. Rhodri Davies
Head of Policy & Programme Director, Giving Thought
Charities Aid Foundation
rdavies@cafonline.org