The UN AI Resource Hub
REFERENCE POINT AI is now part of development infrastructure. The UN AI Resource Hub responds to a critical gap: where to find credible, system-wide information on how AI is actually being used across 50+ UN entities.
The UN AI Resource Hub: A New Reference Point for AI, Evidence, and Sustainable Development
A structured way to explore real, operational uses of AI—beyond pilot hype and vendor promises
The New Reality
AI is part of development infrastructure
The Critical Gap
Where to find credible system-wide information
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a peripheral topic in international development—it is becoming part of the infrastructure that shapes how programs are designed, implemented, monitored, and evaluated. Yet for many practitioners, one challenge has remained constant: where to find credible, system-wide information on how AI is actually being used across the UN system.
Launched in December 2025, the UN AI Resource Hub responds directly to this gap, offering evaluation professionals a structured way to explore real, operational uses of AI.
What Is the UN AI Resource Hub?
750+ AI Initiatives
From over 50 UN entities
Searchable Platform
Structured exploration across sectors
System-Wide Governance
UNDP, ITU, UNESCO leadership
Operational Focus
Documents what is actually happening
The UN AI Resource Hub is a searchable platform that brings together AI initiatives spanning development programming, humanitarian action, responsible AI governance, and policy research. Rather than focusing on speculative futures, it documents what is already happening—across agencies, regions, and thematic areas.
🏛️ Interagency Governance Matters
Developed under the UN Interagency Working Group on AI with leadership from UNDP, ITU, and UNESCO, this governance signals a move toward system-wide alignment, shared standards, and collective learning—critical foundations for credible and ethical AI use.
Why This Matters for M&E and Learning Professionals
Persistent Questions
- Where does AI add value to evidence generation?
- How are bias, transparency, and accountability managed?
- What does "responsible AI" look like in real programs?
The Hub's Value
Provides raw material to ask better questions
What the Hub Enables for Evaluators
Identify Patterns of Use
See where AI is applied to data collection, analysis, or targeting
Compare Approaches
Examine different tools and governance models across contexts
Ground in Reality
Base evaluations on actual practice, not assumptions
What You'll Find Inside the Hub
1. A Searchable Database of UN AI Initiatives
At the core of the platform
Search by:
- Sector: health, education, climate, governance
- Region and country
- Thematic focus: inclusion, forecasting, service delivery
- AI application type
Value for Evaluators:
Essential for portfolio reviews, comparative case studies, and evidence scans. Instead of starting from scratch, the Hub offers a baseline map of who is doing what, where, and why.
2. Direct Access to Key UN AI Platforms
Connecting initiative-level information with thematic research
Linked Platforms Include:
ILO Observatory on AI and Work
Focuses on labor-market impacts, governance, and policy responses to AI
The Hub reflects the interconnected reality of AI applications that cut across institutional boundaries.
Triangulation Support:
For EvalCommunity users, these links support evidence triangulation: combining initiative-level information with thematic research, policy analysis, and labor-market evidence.
3. Practical Case Studies (Not Just Concepts)
Embedded in institutional mandates and real constraints
Real-World Applications:
🏥 Health
Decision support, diagnostics, service optimization
📚 Education
Learning analytics, personalization, system planning
🌍 Climate Action
Forecasting, risk analysis, resource management
🤝 Inclusion
Accessibility, targeting marginalized populations
Evaluation Value:
- Entry points for theory-based evaluation
- Concrete contexts to assess risks, ethics, and unintended effects
- Opportunities to examine how AI affects decision-making processes
Importantly: These are not generic "AI success stories."
A Living Resource, Not a Static Repository
Designed to Evolve
New initiatives added as AI practice evolves
Enables Meta-Learning
Track how AI use matures across the system
The UN AI Resource Hub is explicitly designed as a living platform. New initiatives, tools, and insights will be added over time, reflecting the rapid evolution of AI across development and humanitarian systems.
Relevance for the M&E Community
Ongoing Learning Agendas
Track emerging patterns and shifts in AI application
Adaptive Management
Inform real-time adjustments based on system-wide learning
Longitudinal Evaluation
Study AI adoption trajectories and governance evolution
This opens the door to meta-learning: tracking how AI use matures, where it stalls, and how governance practices evolve.
How EvalCommunity Members Can Use the Hub
Evaluation Design
Identifying comparable AI-enabled programs for benchmarking and learning
Evidence Reviews
Mapping existing AI applications in specific sectors or thematic areas
Capacity Building
Using real UN cases in training programs and learning materials
Policy Engagement
Grounding recommendations in system-wide practice, not theory
"Most importantly, the Hub helps shift the conversation from 'Should we use AI?' to 'Under what conditions does AI improve decision-making, accountability, and learning?'"
Final Reflection
Demystifying AI
A meaningful step toward clarity
Shared Evidence Base
To interrogate, learn from, and build upon
"For the EvalCommunity audience, the value lies not in the technology itself, but in what the Hub enables: better questions, stronger evidence, and more responsible use of AI in service of sustainable development."
Essential Reference Points for Accountability & Learning
Explore the UN AI Resource Hub
Access 750+ AI initiatives across the UN system to ground your evaluations in real-world practice.
Visit the Hub →Master AI Evaluation Methods
Develop the skills to evaluate AI tools and applications in development and humanitarian contexts.
Enroll in Course →Join the EvalCommunity
Connect with evaluation professionals navigating AI's role in evidence, learning, and accountability.
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