By Rendy Aseidu Kwakye, Francis Agyemang and Alamin Dada
July 10, 2025
In today’s fast-evolving digital world, technology isn’t just a luxury, it’s a lifeline – especially for rural communities and organizations striving to close longstanding development gaps. Across the globe, digital infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are proving to be transformative forces. But how do we ensure these tools are not only available but accessible, and are used responsibly for community economic development (CED) at the local level?
At the Rural Development Institute (RDI), we’re excited to share our ongoing journey. There is a project team aligned with a master’s student group that is designing and implementing an AI toolkit to support CED activities in rural communities. Our mission is simple but ambitious, to empower local communities and their development partners through technology that is practical, inclusive, low risk, and capable of driving real change.
Why Digital Infrastructure and AI Matter for Rural Development?
Rural communities and rural organizations have historically faced challenges when it comes to accessing services, economic opportunities, and decision-making tools that urban systems, intermediate, advanced and beyond organizations often take for granted. That’s where AI and digital technologies come in. When thoughtfully and responsibly applied, these technologies can:
- Enhance service delivery efficiency (UNDP, 2016; World Bank, 2019.
- Strengthen local governance and transparency (OECD, 2019; UN-Habitat, 2020).
- Create new pathways for economic participation (ILO, 2017; African Development Bank, 2020).
- Foster inclusive decision-making that reflects the voices of local people. (UNDP, 2016; Cornwall, 2008).
Our work recognizes that technology alone isn’t the solution; it’s how we deploy it for each task and purpose that makes the difference. Effective technology use is built on core digital skills and applications, and RDI is exploring those foundations within an AI in CED context.
The Core of Our Initiative: Mapping Tools, Building Capacity
Our project began with a scan of common off the shelf AI tools that are affordably accessed and meaningful to CED. The aim is to build an inventory of technologies that local organizations, businesses, and community groups can easily use. But it doesn’t stop there. We’re also working to map AI training opportunities, starting in Manitoba and expanding outward. Our goal is to start assessing the types and extent of training needed to apply AI to CED roles and projects. After all, technology is only as powerful as the people are equipped to use it.
The Road Ahead: Training, Innovation, and Impact
Looking ahead, we see enormous potential in pairing technology with targeted CED projects and capacity building. The future we envision includes:
- A better understanding of AI tools that safely and easily help rural communities
- Stronger technological know-how in rural communities
- More confident and capable local leaders using AI tools to shape economic futures
- Partnerships that bring together communities, researchers, and innovators in meaningful ways
As we test and explore various AI tools, we’re learning along the way about what works, what doesn’t, and what surprises us. The journey is as much about discovery as it is about design.
Sharing Our Story
In the spirit of collaboration, we’ll continue to share insights, challenges, and breakthroughs from this initiative. From the good to the bad (and yes, the unexpected!), we believe there’s value in making our learning process transparent. We invite communities, researchers, development planners, and managers to join us in this exploration. Stay tuned to the RDI website for updates as we continue mapping, supporting, and innovating alongside the communities and organizations we partner and serve. Together, we can unlock the potential of AI and digital tools to create thriving, resilient rural economies here in Manitoba and beyond.
The authors would like to acknowledge their utilized of ChatGPT to assist in the development of this blog post.
References:
African Development Bank (AfDB). (2020). Entrepreneurship and free enterprise development in Africa: Creating opportunities for youth and women. AfDB.
Cornwall, A. (2008). Unpacking ‘participation’: Models, meanings and practices. Community Development Journal, 43(3), 269–283. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsn010
International Labour Organization (ILO). (2017). World employment and social outlook: Sustainable enterprises and jobs. ILO.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2019). Making decentralization work: A handbook for policy-makers. OECD Publishing.
UNDP. (2016). Governance for sustainable human development: A UNDP policy document. United Nations Development Programme.
UN-Habitat. (2020). Enhancing transparency and accountability in local governance: Global practices and tools. UN-Habitat.
World Bank. (2019). Improving public sector performance through innovation and inter-agency coordination. World Bank Group.