AI FOR ALL

DEBIASING AI

FOR CHILD-FOCUSED PROGRAMS

Course Overview

Debiasing AI for Child-Focused Programs is a live, interactive training designed for global professionals working at the intersection of:

Programs that Support Families and Children

Behavioral Science and Design

Donor Strategy and Ethical Funding

Technology, Innovation, and AI Policy

Why this course matters

Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Claude are being used to inform decisions across health, education, protection, and humanitarian response — but whose perspectives do they reflect? 

 

Most AI systems are trained on data from WEIRD societies: 
Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. 

These systems: 

  • Mirror the psychology of a narrow cultural slice of the world 

  • Struggle to represent culturally diverse or marginalized populations 

  • Often reinforce biases around religion, gender, ethnicity, and geographical and socioeconomic status. 

  • Are least aligned with societies most distant from WEIRD norms — including Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan 

As these tools are adopted globally, the risk is clear:

AI that appears neutral may encode deep cultural bias — with real-world implications for children and the programs that serve them. 

This course is designed to help practitioners, funders, and designers understand, identify, and address these biases — using case studies, behavioral insights, and a cross-cultural lens. 

What you’ll learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Define “WEIRD bias” and explain how it emerges in AI. 

Recognize representation and allocation harms in LLMs.

Analyze examples of cross-cultural mismatch in GenAI behavior — including how models interpret child protection norms, gender roles, parenting practices, and access to services — and draw insights from research on WEIRD bias in large language models.

Apply evidence-based strategies to mitigate cultural bias in AI tools — including techniques for bias-aware prompting and incorporating contextual insights from both models and users. 

WESTERN

EDUCATED

INDUSTRIALIZED

RICH

DEMOCRATIC

Course Format

Debiasing AI for Child-Focused Programs

STRUCTURE

2 live 90-minute online sessions per cohort

MATERIALS

Slides and recordings available for all participants

INTERACTIVE

Includes real-world examples, group discussions, and practical reflection tasks

CERTIFICATE

Certificate of completion for all participants at the end of the course

COURSE FEE

$280 USD/PARTICIPANT

REGISTER HERE