AI Hub

With the rapid advancements in AI, countries are struggling to navigate the challenges. A lack of robust governance frameworks and technical expertise can undermine the responsible and human-centric implementation of future-fit social protection systems. To be able to reap the benefits of AI, uphold human rights and enhance services for all, those implementing social protection systems need to be equipped with the necessary skills and safeguards.

The AI Hub for social protection

The AI Hub assists social protection institutions in developing capacities to govern, design, and implement AI, enabling them to navigate benefits and risks responsibly, innovatively, and uphold digital sovereignty – the three principles adopted by the AI Hub to guide the use of AI in enhancing social protection systems.

Responsible, ethical use of AI

Artificial Intelligence is gaining relevance globally and could become a pivotal building block in the digital transformation of social protection systems. It offers new opportunities to innovate and build more inclusive and efficient social protection systems for safeguarding vulnerable populations against a backdrop of rising crises. However, it requires careful planning, high-quality data, and strong oversight to prevent unintended consequences that could undermine human rights and equality.

The AI Hub contributes to DCI’s mission of digital transformation in social protection by supporting responsible, innovative and sovereign AI adoption for more efficient and inclusive social protection systems.

Responsible
Safeguarding and strengthening human rights by leveraging responsible and ethical AI approaches and concepts for social protection.

Innovative
Creating a space for innovation and working with social protection actors across sectors and disciplines to seize AI benefits.

Sovereign
Promoting the digital sovereignty of partner countries to ensure that social protection institutions remain in control of how they use AI – on their own political and technical terms.

How we work

The AI Hub aims to enable the responsible use of AI for social protection, serving social and environmental wellbeing.

Drawing on a network of global experts, the Hub contributes to the DCI’s four action areas:

- Creating and sharing knowledge on the responsible adoption of AI solutions
- Developing AI-driven Digital Public Goods (DPGs) as well as standards and guidelines
- Providing advisory services to countries in the areas of AI policy, strategy, governance, and the technical development of AI models
- Building skills and capacities in social protection institutions around responsible AI adoption for both policymakers and technical experts

Learn more about our advisory services.

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Country Support

Free of charge country support – Turning AI’s potential into real progress for social protection

Artificial intelligence is opening new possibilities for social protection – from faster, fairer benefit delivery to smarter ways of reaching people in need. But turning that potential into safe, effective practice is not something any institution should have to figure out alone. This is where the AI Hub’s country support comes in: we work directly with governments and social protection institutions to strengthen responsible AI adoption through hands-on, impactful projects – always keeping decisions in the hands of the country itself.

Every engagement follows the same simple journey. It starts with Intake and Scoping: we listen to the challenge a country is facing, check that a request fits our focus and principles, and agree on a clear, realistic plan together. Next comes Tailored Support: a global pool of AI and social protection experts works side by side with national teams to deliver the agreed solution – whether that is a strategy paper, a governance framework, a technical blueprint or a small working prototype. Throughout, quality is checked and safeguards are built in. Finally, Feedback and Integration: we capture what worked, help the country carry the results forward, and share the lessons so other countries can benefit too.
Depending on where a country stands in its AI journey, our experts can help in different ways without any costs attached:

Explore and assess – making sense of where AI could help, and testing whether a promising idea is realistic before investing further.

Set the right foundations – developing AI strategies, governance frameworks, and safeguards for ethical, non-discriminatory and rights-respecting use.

Build and test – hands-on support to develop prototypes, specify technical requirements, and prepare for responsible piloting.

Learn and scale – guidance on rolling out solutions safely, monitoring results, and adopting proven AI tools already used elsewhere.

We are a partner for strategic and technical challenges – not a substitute for day-to-day operations, full-scale system building, or procurement itself. We help countries ask the right questions, make informed choices, and avoid costly missteps.
Not every challenge needs the same level of support. Some requests call for quick, focused input over a few weeks; others benefit from a deeper, multi-month engagement. When several countries share a similar challenge, we can also bring them together to learn from one another and pool expertise. In every case, support is tailored, time-bound, and built around what the country actually needs.

Publications

The AI Hub is committed to advancing the global dialogue on AI adoption in social protection by creating and sharing knowledge on the responsible use of AI solutions. Through research, knowledge exchange, learning and collaboration, we have developed a portfolio of knowledge products that help policymakers, practitioners, and partners navigate the opportunities and challenges of adopting AI in social protection. We offer practical resources that support informed decision-making and responsible innovation.

Read the AI Hub’s foundational knowledge products below.

A Taxonomy for AI in Social Protection: Defining capabilities and application areas is the AI Hub’s foundational reference for understanding and discussing AI in the context of social protection. The Taxonomy introduces key concepts, capabilities, and application areas, providing a shared vocabulary for policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and developers. By establishing a common language, it lays the foundation for a coherent, forward-looking global dialogue and supports more informed collaboration, research, and innovation.

Read here

AI Adoption in Social Protection: A Global Evidence Review (2020–2025) brings together evidence from more than 90 countries to provide a comprehensive overview of AI adoption in social protection over the past five years. The review documents verified AI use cases across social assistance, social insurance, and labour market programmes, offering policymakers, practitioners, and researchers a unique evidence base to understand global trends, emerging applications, and lessons for responsible AI adoption.

Read here

More publications coming soon.

Read our selection of specialised blogs.

go to AI Hub blogs

AI Hub Clinic Series

The AI Hub Clinic Series is designed as a practical learning journey for social protection institutions that are exploring, planning, or already experimenting with artificial intelligence. Rather than starting with tools, the series begins with a more fundamental question: what needs to be in place for AI to be used responsibly and effectively?

Across a sequence of thematically connected sessions, participants move step by step from institutional readiness and data foundations to ethics, governance, and understanding what AI can (and cannot) do, before turning to use-case identification and scoping. Each session features peer exchange between institutions, enabling participants to learn how similar challenges are addressed across different contexts.

The series places strong emphasis on learning from both success and failure, recognizing that weak readiness, poor data, or insufficient governance can lead to costly investments with limited impact. After each session, participants receive practical tools and outputs to help assess their own context and advance their AI journey in a structured and risk-aware way.

Unlike traditional webinars, the Clinic Series follows an interactive format that encourages open exchange. Sessions combine short inputs with structured dialogue and moderated discussion. Each clinic includes a 60-minute recorded segment, followed by a 30-minute off-the-record discussion to allow for deeper reflection and peer-to-peer exchange.
This first session of the 6-part webinar series was held on April 14, 2026, and focused on the pre-conditions for AI adoption, asking the core question: “are you ready for responsible AI adoption in social protection?”. Before investing in technology, institutions need to understand whether their legal, organizational, governance, and technical foundations are fit for purpose.

Read our AI Readiness Self-Assessment Tool launched during the session and watch the recording here.
After exploring institutional readiness in our pilot clinic, the second session held on July 14, 2026 looked at data readiness, looking at data quality, coverage, and completeness. The session also addressed a key risk: how biases and gaps in existing data can translate into unfair or unreliable AI outcomes.

Read our Data Readiness Checklist launched during the session and watch the recording here.

Governance and partners

The AI Hub for Social Protection is a joint effort of GIZ and partners under the umbrella of the DCI. Starting this endeavour with currently nine core implementing partners, we are seeking to expand this network. Interested in becoming a partner? Please contact us at contact@spdci.org.

The AI Hub is implemented by: