The Real Promise of AI Isn’t Efficiency—It’s Humanity. Are We Missing It?

Are We Missing the Real Promise of AI? Why It’s Time to Rethink What We’re Building

Introduction: AI Is Everywhere—But Are We Looking in the Right Places?

Lately, it feels like AI is seeping into every corner of our lives. Everywhere I turn, there’s talk of smarter tools, faster workflows, more automation. From investor meetings to coffee shop conversations, “AI” is the buzzword of the decade.

And yet, I can’t help but feel something’s missing. Or rather, someone.

This month, two indigenous languages—languages spoken for generations in the mountains of the Himalayas and deep in the Amazon rainforest—may go silent forever. With them, entire cultures, worldviews, and wisdom traditions vanish. The worst part? Most people won’t even notice.

That’s when I ask myself: Is this really the best we can do with the most powerful technology of our time?

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The Big AI Investment Boom—But Where’s the Heart?

I’ve been fortunate enough to meet brilliant founders using AI to tackle real, pressing human challenges—people like Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, who built NightOwlGPT to preserve endangered languages and promote digital literacy in remote communities.

Her work is meaningful. It’s inspiring. It’s the kind of thing that makes you believe that AI can help save our stories, protect our cultures, and give voice to those we too often ignore.

But let’s be honest—projects like that? They rarely get the funding.

Instead, millions—billions—are being poured into AI that helps companies move a little faster, write copy a little quicker, or lay off a few more people in the name of "efficiency."

And that’s what breaks my heart.

We’re standing at the edge of something massive. AI can be so much more than a productivity tool. It can be a force for healing, for justice, for inclusion. But only if we choose to make it so.

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Why Impact-Driven AI Isn’t Getting Funded—And Why That Needs to Change

Right now, less than 1% of venture capital goes toward AI projects focused on social impact. That’s not because there’s a lack of ideas. It’s not because there’s no demand. It’s because the system is designed to chase quick wins and fast returns.

Investors want scale. They want speed. They want hockey-stick growth charts. And social innovation? It tends to move slower. It doesn’t always fit neatly into spreadsheets. It works in communities, not just code.

But here’s what I believe: Real impact is long-term ROI. It's the kind that builds trust, resilience, and lasting change.

We need a mindset shift. We need to stop acting like we have to choose between purpose and profit. Because when AI is done right, you can have both.

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We Don’t Just Need More AI—We Need More Voices at the Table

Here’s something else that’s hard to ignore: AI is being built by a very small group of people. Mostly male, mostly from tech hubs, mostly from similar backgrounds.

And it shows.

When we exclude different lived experiences—women, Indigenous voices, people from the Global South—we don’t just lose diversity. We lose wisdom. We lose connection. We build tools that work well for a few and fail the many.

Think about it. How can we build AI for the world if we don’t include the world in the process?

Women, in particular, bring something deeply needed to the AI conversation—empathy, nuance, real-world grounding. Women are the ones often leading the charge on AI that tackles overlooked problems like maternal health, education in refugee camps, or ethical data labeling.

One amazing example is Gina Romero’s work with Mettamatch, where women from underrepresented communities are trained and fairly paid to annotate data for AI systems. It’s not just employment—it’s empowerment. It’s building a future where AI lifts people up instead of leaving them behind.

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Let’s Drop the Myth That Technology Is “Neutral”

Here’s the truth: Technology isn’t neutral, because we aren’t neutral.

AI learns from us—our data, our decisions, our history. If we’re not careful, it learns our biases too. It mirrors our blind spots. It automates inequality if we let it.

So we need to be intentional. Not just about what we build, but how and who builds it.

We need engineers, yes. But we also need teachers, nurses, climate activists, peacebuilders. We need sociologists and philosophers. We need people who understand trauma, community, resilience. Because those are the people who understand what’s actually at stake.

You don’t need a PhD in machine learning to shape the future of AI. You just need to care about people—and be given a seat at the table.

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A Personal Reflection: What Kind of AI Future Do You Want to See?

Let me ask you this, honestly: When you think about the future of AI, what do you hope for?

For me, it’s not just faster tools or smarter apps. It’s seeing children in rural areas learn in their native language. It’s AI that helps doctors in low-resource clinics make better decisions. It’s AI that helps prevent the next natural disaster or ends hunger in regions that have been ignored for too long.

That’s what excites me. That’s where I see real transformation.

But we won’t get there unless we start funding that kind of vision. Unless we make space for those building it. Unless we stop measuring progress only in profit margins.

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The Ask: Let’s Get Serious About AI That Matters

So here’s my challenge—especially to investors, founders, policymakers, and tech leaders:

Fund what matters. Even if the returns are slower. Even if the path is harder. Impact AI needs fuel.

Diversify your teams. And not just for the sake of diversity—but because it's smart, strategic, and necessary.

Rethink success. Let it include justice, dignity, inclusion. Let it mean lifting others up.

Bridge silos. Bring together coders and climate activists, data scientists and doctors, engineers and educators.

This is not about charity. This is about vision. It’s about building systems that don’t just work—but work for more people.

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Final Thoughts: What If We Dream Bigger?

We’re at a fork in the road with AI. One path is faster, shinier, more lucrative. The other? It’s slower, messier, and rooted in people’s real lives.

But that second path? It’s where the magic is.

It’s where languages live. Where justice can thrive. Where mothers can feed their children and girls can go to school. It’s where tech becomes more than tools—it becomes care.

We have the power to choose. So let’s choose wisely.

Let’s stop just building better AI—and start building a better world with AI.

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AI is booming—but are we funding the right ideas? This heartfelt article explores why we need to rethink our priorities and invest in AI for people, not just profit. A powerful call to build tech that truly serves humanity.