# AI for Social Impact: Learning and Planning in the Data-to-Deployment Pipeline

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.00088 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2001.00088/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 16 Dec 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Envisioning Communities: A Participatory Approach Towards AI for Social Good](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.01774/) (2021)
- [The Real Deal: A Review of Challenges and Opportunities in Moving Reinforcement Learning-Based Traffic Signal Control Systems Towards Reality](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.11996/) (2022)
- [Intention Recognition for Multiple Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.02513/) (2021)
- [Decision-Focused Evaluation: Analyzing Performance of Deployed Restless Multi-Arm Bandits](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.07835/) (2023)
- [The Hardness of Achieving Impact in AI for Social Impact Research: A Ground-Level View of Challenges & Opportunities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.14829/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

With the maturing of AI and multiagent systems research, we have a tremendous opportunity to direct these advances towards addressing complex societal problems. In pursuit of this goal of AI for Social Impact, we as AI researchers must go beyond improvements in computational methodology; it is important to step out in the field to demonstrate social impact. To this end, we focus on the problems of public safety and security, wildlife conservation, and public health in low-resource communities, and present research advances in multiagent systems to address one key cross-cutting challenge: how to effectively deploy our limited intervention resources in these problem domains. We present case studies from our deployments around the world as well as lessons learned that we hope are of use to researchers who are interested in AI for Social Impact. In pushing this research agenda, we believe AI can indeed play an important role in fighting social injustice and improving society.