Online event: 3rd March
Why responsible AI needs to go beyond compliance
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Every week I speak with social impact organizations that are curious about our programs but hesitant to apply. Not because they lack ambition or ideas, but because they have very practical questions that need clear answers first.
I get it. You are running a mission with limited resources. Before you invest time in an application, you want to know exactly what you are signing up for.
So here are the four questions I hear most often, answered as honestly and completely as I can.
By Angelika Nocoń, SIO Engagement Manager at Tech To The Rescue
This is probably the number one question we receive, and the answer depends on which program you are considering.
For the AI Impact Lab: No, you do not need a working AI solution. What you do need is a clearly defined challenge, bottleneck, or idea where you believe AI could help. Maybe your team spends hundreds of hours manually sorting beneficiary data. Maybe you see an opportunity to predict demand for your services. Maybe you have an idea for automating a process that currently limits your reach. That is enough. The AI Impact Lab is designed to help you turn that idea into a functional prototype.
For the AI Scaling Program: Here, you need a validated solution that is ready to grow. This does not mean you need to already be using AI. One of the key aspects of the program is that you come to it to plug in the AI work. What we are looking for is a proven intervention with real users and measurable results, where you have a clear vision of how AI could help you scale that impact further.
The key for both programs: You need a clear AI implementation idea. Not a vague sense that "AI could be useful." The more specific you are about what you want AI to do and why, the stronger your application will be.
Our programs are free to participate in. The tech expertise, mentoring, workshops, and community support you receive through Tech To The Rescue come at no cost to your organization.
Tech partners who build with you do so on a pro bono basis. In some cases, if your organization has budget available and both sides agree, a low bono arrangement is possible, but this is never a requirement.
However, there is one cost you need to plan for: maintaining the solution after it is built. This includes things like cloud storage, hosting, domain registration, and any ongoing subscriptions or services your AI tool requires to run. These costs vary depending on the solution, but they are real and you should budget for them from the start.
We want to be upfront about this because we have seen organizations get excited about building something powerful, only to struggle with keeping it running afterwards. Planning ahead makes all the difference.
This is where the two programs differ significantly.
AI Impact Lab
The Impact Lab is an intensive, structured experience. Here is what it looks like:
You will start with approximately 3 weeks of pre-bootcamp work, including guided self-learning in AI to build baseline AI literacy, prepare your organization, align your team, and refine your challenge statement. This foundation is essential for making the most of what comes next.
Then comes the core experience: a 7 week synchronous online bootcamp with sessions twice per week, each lasting about 4 hours. These sessions are led by tech experts and designed to move you from idea to prototype.
It is demanding, but it is also transformative. Organizations that commit fully to the process come out the other side with something tangible and a team that understands AI in a completely new way.
AI Scaling Program
The one non-negotiable: your project manager or the responsible person for the project should be able to allocate at least 5 hours a week for the matching process. They will be invited to meetings with selected partners, and once you are matched, the tech company will expect your team to be ready to jump into the development of the project by answering questions, joining check-ins, and other communication arrangements.
Beyond this core commitment, you can engage with as many events, resources, and community activities as your capacity allows.
You do not need a large team, but you do need the right people at the table.
AI Impact Lab: 3 people who can make things happen
Participants in the AI Impact Lab should be decision-makers within their organizations. People with real influence over strategic direction, the ability to make key decisions, and the mandate to design and move products forward without lengthy internal approval cycles.
Why does this matter? Because the bootcamp moves fast. You will be making choices about your AI solution in real time, and you need team members who can commit to a direction without waiting for layers of sign-off.
Here is what we recommend:
First, a main point of contact or project manager. This person will be the bridge between your organization and the program. They coordinate, communicate, and keep things moving. This can be your CEO, but it does not have to be, as long as they have decision-making authority.
Second, a domain expert. Someone who deeply understands the challenge you are trying to solve. They bring the context that makes the AI solution relevant and effective.
Third, a tech person. This does not mean you need an AI engineer. Someone with basic technical literacy who can engage with the tech aspects of the bootcamp and communicate with developers is enough.
AI Scaling Program: start lean, grow as needed
At the beginning, you need a main point of contact or project manager to engage with the program activities, participate in the community, and coordinate your organization's involvement during the matching process.
Once you are matched with a tech partner and the build phase begins, you will also want a tech person from your side who can collaborate with the tech team effectively. But this comes later in the process, not from day one.
If you have read through these answers and thought, "We could do this," I would love to hear from you. Our application process is straightforward, and our team is always happy to answer additional questions before you apply.
Both the AI Impact Lab and the AI Scaling Program accept direct applications when the application window is open. You do not need an invitation or a referral.
And if you are not quite ready yet, that is completely fine too. Join our newsletter to stay updated on upcoming cohorts, success stories from organizations like yours, and tips for preparing a strong application.
The most important step is the first one. And sometimes that first step is simply asking the right questions
