Join us for a high-level event on Unlocking the Power of Science and AI for Development Impact, organized by the World Bank’s Development Impact Department.

For two decades, the World Bank has pioneered a science-based model of strengthening the impact of development programs – one that learns, adapts, and scales what works.

With the rapid rise of AI and digital innovation, this movement is entering a new frontier: science and technology together are reshaping how development programs are designed and delivered.

This high-level event will reflect on that journey, showcase ImpactAI – a specialized AI assistant that makes global evidence decision-ready – and convene leaders from policy, research, technology, and philanthropy to discuss how science and technology can accelerate learning and amplify impact at scale, transforming the path of development.

Alongside the panel, enjoy an interactive showcase of innovations where you can explore tools, meet teams, and ask questions—followed by a reception.

This event will:

  • Reflect on the evolution of a 20-year investment in science-based adaptive delivery, and how it is reshaping the model of development.

  • Showcase ImpactAI as a concrete example of how technology can make science transparent, accessible, and decision-ready in real time.

  • Convene a high-level dialogue bringing together policy, research, technology, and philanthropy leaders on how to integrate science and innovation to accelerate learning and scale solutions. 

  • Feature an interactive exhibition of innovations, where you can explore tools, meet teams, and ask questions—followed by a social reception.

Background

 

The World Bank has long invested in bringing rigorous evidence into operations—making science part of how projects are designed and delivered. 

 

What began as testing ideas and learning from evidence has grown into a movement for science-based adaptive delivery: a model where programs learn as they go, adapt mid-course, and scale what works. This shift has shown that development can be faster, smarter, and more effective when evidence is embedded into how we deliver solutions on the ground (LEADS: Learn. Adapt. Scale.)

 

The landscape is shifting once again. A fast-growing wave of technological innovation – powered by AI and digital tools – is amplifying what science can do for development. AI is changing how knowledge is generated, shared, and applied: turning what once took months into seconds, making evidence usable in real time, and creating the possibility of scaling proven approaches across entire portfolios and systems.

 

This is not about doing development better at the margins. It is about changing the model of development itself – bringing together economists, researchers, and AI innovators to combine the power of science with the speed of technology. With this convergence, we can accelerate learning, amplify impact, and deliver results at a scale never seen before.

 

As part of this transformation, the World Bank’s Development Impact AI Lab is launching ImpactAI, a specialized AI research assistant designed to synthesize the highest-quality, scientific knowledge for policy decisions. Powered by an ensemble of custom LLMs and a curated knowledge database, it provides comparisons of what works best in which contexts on a common scale.

 

ImpactAI represents the convergence of 20 years of investment in science with the latest advances in technology—an example of how research and AI together can accelerate the pace of evidence-based policy. Learn more about the project here and find a product demo here.

 
2:45 PM Registration  

3:00 PM

 Opening Remarks
Indermit Gill, Chief Economist & Senior Vice President, World Bank Group		  
3:10 – 3:25 PM

Presentation

Changing the Model of Development – A reflection on the 20-year evolution of science-based development and how technology is accelerating this transformation

Arianna Legovini, Director for Development Impact, World Bank

  
 

Demonstration

ImpactAI in Action – Showcasing how technology can make science accessible, transparent, and decision-ready

DECDI AI Lab

  
3:25 - 4:20 PM

High-Level Panel
Unlocking the Power of Science and AI for Development Impact

  • Michael Kremer, 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics, Professor of Economics, University of Chicago
  • Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nigeria
  • Amanda Glassman, Executive Advisor to the President, Inter-American Development Bank
  • Jamie Zimmerman, Deputy Director, Digital Connectivity, Gates Foundation
  • Karan Bhatia, Global Head, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google

Moderator: Arianna Legovini, Director for Development Impact, World Bank

 

  
4:20 – 4:30 PM

Closing Remarks

  
4:30 - 5:30 PM Reception & Interactive Exhibition of Innovations  
 

 

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