Sustainable AI citizen support
Apply for funding
Shared Service FAQ
How much funding is available?
Proto is backed by philanthropy partners such as the https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/committed-grants/2024/11/inv-073649 to deploy capital via the shared service model at an initial six (6) countries in Southeast Asia and Africa. Exact funding per country depends upon the number of government agencies within a deployment. The funding pays 100% of a one (1) year license fee for the Proto AICX Platform and solution design by the https://lab.ccaf.io/.
What are the eligibility requirements for shared service funding?
Low-to-middle income countries can qualify for the shared service model if they intend to integrate AI assistants and case management across >2 government agencies with a mandate for consumer protection and/or regulation. An example of this would be a central bank, insurance commission, and securities exchange seeking to share a consumer protection system.
What are the responsibilities of government agencies?
After the one (1) year of funding from philanthropy partners, the government agencies can commit to split the ongoing license fee for the Proto AICX Platform at a reduced per-agency cost. Alternatively, the agencies can develop the technology further and independently under the philanthropy partners’ license. During the deployment, government agencies are expected to participate in the provision of citizen case / complaint data, technical implementation, user acceptance testing, and cross-agency collaboration. A project charter defines the responsibilities of government agencies in detail.
What if my country has accessibility issues, such as illiteracy?
Proto specialises in the inclusion of historically-marginalised citizens, with text and voice AI capability for local languages in Africa and Asia. These localised AI assistants are available across SMS for feature phones and common messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger.
What if my country has complex procurement processes?
The shared service model is designed to enable deployment with one (1) year of philanthropy funding. This funding allows for the generation of citizen experience and social impact metrics to support complex procurements. Additionally, the shared service model allows participating government agencies to split the license fee for the Proto AICX Platform amongst themselves. Typically, the final cost per-agency falls below small-value procurement levels or within budgetary limits.
What if my government agency does not have partners for the shared service?
Please apply for funding. In this case, Proto and its partners may be able to assist in outreach to other agencies in your country in order to enable the shared service model.
What is the deployment process?
Proto and its implementation partner, the University of Cambridge SupTech Lab, conduct a twelve (12) month comprehensive solution design, implementation, testing, and deployment. This process provides at least three (3) months for production-level deployment to gather citizen experience and social impact metrics to support continued procurement.
Who owns the citizen data and where is it hosted?
Government agencies own all data within their accounts under the share service model. This data can be exported at any time. Proto provides for cloud, hybrid, and on-premise hosting options that meet a variety of data privacy requirements. The AI assistants can be powered by large language models, such as ChatGPT, or Proto’s proprietary AI engine.