Get your AI prototype fast

You want to test an idea for an AI app? I create your prototype within a few days. As the Co-Lead of the Ashoka AI Lab, I have been doing that dozens of times. (And not just prototypes.)

If you want to use AI effectively and responsibly, you have to play with the technology. So stop talking and start prototyping!

You want to use AI but don't know where to start.

"Stop talking and start tinkering" is inspired by what we do at Ashoka. A World Economic Forum report calls our approach "conscious tinkering" and recommends it as one way to adopt AI within organizations.

You don't want to lose any more time.

We will develop your first AI prototype -- within days if you already know what you want, or within 8 weeks if we first have to identify a use case. With the Ashoka AI Lab, I have been doing this dozens of times. It's much easier than you think.

You heard about the risks and don't want to make mistakes.

We will start with AI applications that avoid the most common risks. We will improve non-critical processes using non-sensitive data with applications that only your team has access to.

"Odin, we are going to name one of our centers after you!"Karima Grant, Ashoka Fellow and Executive Director, ImagiNation Afrika

"Odin is a genius."Kendis Paris, Ashoka Fellow, Founder & CEO, Truckers Against Trafficking

"Odin's analyses are as sharp and precise as a scalpel."Mike McGalliard, Founding President and Executive Director, Imagination Foundation

"We only looked at our program; now we focus on the system change!"Rita Melifonwu, Ashoka Fellow, Founder and CEO, Stroke Action UK and Nigeria

"Tremendously useful! How much do I have to pay to steal you from Ashoka?"Thorsten Kiefer, Ashoka Fellow, Founder and CEO, Wash United

How it works

1) Assemble your team

Find at least 2 people to develop the strategy with you. Include whoever ultimately decides about the next steps of your venture or initiative. Make sure that every member of the team is available for at least 5 hours per week over a course of 7 weeks.

2) Reflect and discuss

Each week, your team does research and exercises, which we discuss in a conference call. You don't need to know any systems thinking concepts. After 7 weeks, we will have selected a systems change goal and identified tangible milestones toward that goal.

3) Act, learn, repeat

Act on that strategy, learn, and repeat the process after a year or two. Chances are that after the first time, you don't even need me anymore.

February 2025. Article on the WEF blog: How “conscious tinkering” can kickstart AI in your organization. Traditional, top-down approaches to AI adoption leave many organizations feeling overwhelmed. “Conscious Tinkering” creates a low-stakes space for teams to experiment. This enables technological innovation in resource-constrained environments. With Daniela Matielo.

June 2024. AI for Impact: The PRISM Framework for Responsible AI in Social Innovation. Features the “conscious tinkering” and “proof of value” approaches to adopting AI that we have developed for Ashoka. (Report not co-authored by me.)

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