Proto and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have announced a strategic partnership with $1.8 million in funding to scale Proto’s AI-based chatbot and complaints management system across six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Africa and Asia.
This initiative to expand access to consumer protection aligns with the foundation’s commitment to advancing financial inclusion and protecting the most vulnerable. The funding contributes to a global supervisory technology scale-up initiative led by Proto, with key contributions from its implementation partners.
Proto’s citizen engagement chatbots, already in use by government agencies from the Philippines to Rwanda, help supervisory bodies monitor consumer complaints resolution efficiently in local languages like Tagalog and Kinyarwanda. This solution streamlines case management and makes recourse available to underserved populations.
Data-based approach to tackling consumer harm
Proto’s previous deployments showcase the transformational power of AI-powered complaints management systems. In the Philippines, Proto is deployed by agencies such as the Department of Trade & Industry, Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Central Bank of the Philippines, where 76% of financial consumer complaints and 500,000 citizen interactions per month were automated last year.
This global benchmark for AI consumer protection was replicated in Africa, where notably, the National Bank of Rwanda deployed the Proto consumer protection chatbot across 591 financial institutions and achieved an 80% year-on-year growth in consumer recourse interactions.
The foundation’s funding aligns with its Digital Financial Services Supervision & Consumer Protection Strategy, which aims to encourage financial inclusion by reducing the risks associated with the rapid expansion of digital financial services. The growth of digital systems has brought millions of individuals, especially in Africa and Asia, into formal service networks. However, these new consumers face risks such as fraud, hidden charges, and data misuse.
Protecting consumers with AI for whole-of-government
Automated grievance systems like Proto reduce the time and cost involved in resolving complaints, giving vulnerable consumers a voice. Leveraging AI, the Proto solution enables real-time data collection, which government agencies can use to track emerging risks and respond quickly, ensuring that the most vulnerable are protected from exploitation.
This technology is particularly vital in Africa, where digital inclusion has grown exponentially in recent years. From mobile money services to telemedicine, many individuals in rural areas now have access to basic services. However, these gains can be easily undone if consumer trust is eroded by unresolved disputes or fraud. Proto’s AI-powered chatbots, with their ability to operate in multiple local languages and across communication channels like WhatsApp and SMS, ensure that even those in the most remote areas have access to the protection they need.
Department of Trade & Industry of the Philippines Secretary, Ma Cristina Roque said, “This partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Proto comes at the right time as we adopt a whole-of-government approach to automating citizen engagement and online consumer protection. We are working with the DICT on an integrated approach to execute our mandates under the recently enacted Internet Transactions Act. The law which established our e-Commerce Bureau aims to ensure a streamlined technical capability for rapidly assisting online consumers while reducing the overlap between agencies.”
The Philippines presents an immediate opportunity to scale Proto at the national level. With over 30 government agencies, ranging from the departments of agriculture to social welfare, mandated to integrate under the country’s latest legislation, Proto and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are poised to transform the way consumer protection is handled within complex government structures.
Sustainable deployments through shared service procurement
A key component of the scale-up initiative is its sustainable procurement model, in which the technology is initially sponsored by supporters like the foundation, then transitions to a cost-sharing model between participating government agencies that are successfully deployed. This ensures that the system is affordable and can continue to function after the sponsorship period ends.
Proto CEO, Curtis Matlock said, “This scale-up model goes beyond introducing new technology — it establishes an enduring shared service for government agencies with a responsibility to protect consumers. Together, we’re moving from single-agency deployments to an integrated national solution that serves millions of citizens as efficiently as possible.”
This approach is being demonstrated in the Philippines, where participating agencies will cover their share of post-sponsorship licensing fees under the Internet Transactions Act. By reducing the per-agency cost through shared service integration, even agencies with budgetary constraints will be able to benefit from the AI consumer protection system.
Following the Philippines deployment, Proto and its implementation partners will replicate this model across five selected countries in Africa leading up to the project’s conclusion in 2027.
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Chair Bill Gates and the board of trustees.
