As AI capabilities evolved at breakneck speed, the DevExplorer team rebuilt their tool three times in a single year. This blog reflects on the technical and organisational lessons learned from building an LLM-powered product for international development in a rapidly shifting AI landscape.

Despite growing confidence in AI, there’s more appetite than ever to experiment with and learn about it in safe, low-risk ways. Here are three ways we've been intentionally creating space to play with AI.

While AI tools for monitoring forest cover exist already, these solutions are often trained on data that does not apply across other contexts. Our pilot in Tanzania found that impact depends on local skills, institutions, and long-term ownership.

Can banana-fibre paper reduce nematode-related losses in white yam production in northern Ghana? Our two discovery reports outline the promises of a novel nature-based solution and the practical steps towards real-world adoption.

What happens when climate-driven forest fires outpace the capacity of existing fire detection and response mechanisms? Our pilot in Pakistan looked at how AI can enable early-warning systems for forest fires. Read the findings here.

Tackling the illegal wildlife trade is made harder by the limited tools to accurately identify species and determine their origin. Our MinION pilot in Colombia looked at portable DNA sequencing for better wildlife protection.

Gaps in WASH asset data mean that broken water points often go undetected, disproportionately affecting remote and marginalised communities. This pilot looked at how AI-assisted validation could strengthen oversight and ensure WASH infrastructure issues are addressed before they escalate.

Rapid digitisation of local health systems risks leaving behind those most in need of services. This report examines how practical digital features can improve visibility of vulnerable patients and support more equitable outreach.

Driven by the rise of AI tools and the explosion of the global datasphere, governments are facing a rapid shift in how data is created and used. This blog examines the new skills and organisational changes needed for governments to use AI for data analysis responsibly and effectively.

The tiny tweaks, big-time losses and moments that lead to better solutions for those who need them most. 

Four years ago, we wrote about failure as something to minimise. Today, we celebrate it as our most valuable asset.

Can carbon markets really fund land restoration in the Sahel, or are we chasing unicorns? Our Drylands pilot uncovered the hurdles, opportunities, and tech innovations shaping this critical question.

Concrete and other high-carbon materials dominate construction, driving up emissions and costs. This report explores how bamboo and straw could offer scalable, low-carbon alternatives for sustainable housing in resource-constrained regions.

London Climate Action Week doubled in size this year, signalling greater global engagement with climate solutions. But as the conversation heads to New York, many of the voices that matter most may be notably absent.

Health chatbots don’t succeed because they’re clever, but because they’re embedded in trusted systems with clear referrals to real people at the right time. Here’s what we’ve learned over six years of pilots.

Emerging due diligence and traceability requirements across forest commodity supply chains risk excluding smallholder farmers and producers. This report looks at the potential for open data tools to demonstrate compliance.

One tech stack and decades of lived experience to locate clandestine graves.

Insights from a panel at Pembroke College, Oxford: a Pioneer, a technologist, two forensic archaeologists, an artist and a searching sister.

AI is poised to transform international development. This is true not just in partner countries and local contexts, but also in how development itself is delivered. This blog introduces our AI-powered tool called DevExplorer, which makes it faster and easier to extract insights from global development data.

Budgetary constraints and high case backlog pose significant challenges for Malawi’s legal system. Our discovery report contains research findings on how AI can improve efficiency and enhance access to justice within Malawi.