MI4People's Annual Review 2025

2025 was a year full of impact and many heartfelt encounters. And 2026 will be even more exciting!

Dear Community,

This December is a very special moment for us: for 365 days now, we have been funded through the “Nachhaltig Wirken” (Creating Sustainable Impact) program with resources from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the European Social Fund (ESF). This support has enabled us to build a solid foundation for making Artificial Intelligence responsibly, effectively, and sustainably usable in the nonprofit sector.

First year of funding “Nachhaltig Wirken”: what we have achieved

Thanks to this funding, we were able to significantly develop further this year. From a single full-time employee last year we have now grown into a team of four permanent staff members. This organizational stability is the basis for advancing AI4Good in a responsible way.

Already 20 public good organizations have become part of our program. By 2027, we will support and accompany a total of 45 projects.

We will continue working with the current cohort until February 2026. After that, two additional application rounds will follow. Anyone interested in working with us should be sure to follow us on LinkedIn so as not to miss the start.

At the same time, we are continuously developing a scalable approach to AI implementation in the non-profit sector. Our goal is to enable social organizations, in the long term, to use AI confidently, responsibly, and with a clear focus on impact.

A highlight of 2025: funding for SUSTAIN-AI ECG

A major milestone this year was the funding of our project SUSTAIN-AI ECG by the Bavarian State Chancellery as part of the “Development in Partnership (EiP) 2025” program.

This funding allows us to implement AI-supported ECG analysis in ten hospitals in Ethiopia. Already during the pilot phase, we are reaching around 30% of all cardiologists in the country.

What SUSTAIN-AI ECG is about

Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide. In most regions of Ethiopia, however, access to specialized diagnostics is limited. Our AI supports medical professionals in ECG analysis and helps close critical gaps in care where the need is greatest.

The project is implemented together with our valued partners: the Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), responsible for clinical implementation on the ground, and Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM), which develops the AI technology.

Making AI4Good visible – our public outreach in 2025

In 2025, we proudly carried the AI4Good flag and invested heavily in public outreach: from focused, topic-specific formats to major conferences and festivals, from the transform_D Summit to the Big Bang KI Festival.

We were present at numerous events, stages, and panel discussions and held countless conversations with nonprofits, social start-ups, companies, as well as stakeholders from politics and public administration. In doing so, we were able to make the enormous potential of AI for the public good clearly visible.

Many exciting collaborations and partnerships emerged from these encounters. They clearly show that AI for the common good and public benefit is finally receiving the attention it deserves. We are using this momentum to maximize impact and empower more organizations to use AI for the benefit of people and the environment.

New partnerships, creating impact together

A heartfelt thank you to all nonprofit and public good oriented organizations that took the first step on their AI4Good journey with us this year:

Leistungslotse, World Cleanup Day, DENEFF, ReGen4Futures, ChangeWriters, Up-Preneurs, evin e.V., Local IT, Seecon Impact, Grains, GermanWatch, SeedlingHub, ChangemakerXChange, JoinPolitics, CO2online, Medienblau, Fachverband Drogen- und Suchthilfe e.V., Therapieverbund Ludwigsmühle, BBSB e.V., Care for Rare Foundation, Distanz e.V., Get2Germany, Feminizidmap.

Through your daily work, the world becomes a little better every day! We are incredibly proud and grateful to support you with our AI expertise on your journey.

Special thanks also go to our long-standing partners and supporters, including the Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt, Accenture, Capgemini, Bechtle AG, Alexander Thamm and Five1.

Insights into our volunteer-based AI4Good projects

HOPE – AI for personalized addiction treatment

Together with Therapieverbund Ludwigsmühle and the Fachverband Drogen- und Suchthilfe e.V., we are developing AI-based solutions for:

• individualized treatment planning for people affected by addiction

• prevention of treatment dropout

• tailored referral to appropriate therapy services

Goal: to support people with addiction issues earlier, more precisely, and more effectively.

Satellite-based detection of marine litter

With cloud and computing-power support from Bechtle AG, we are developing a computer vision system that detects marine litter on satellite images almost in real time.

Goals:

• creation of a global marine litter map

• better coordination of clean-up efforts

• increased transparency for the public and policymakers

A live demo is available via this link.

AMIGO

Together with the Care for Rare Foundation and the Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich), we are developing an AI platform to:

• diagnose rare childhood diseases more quickly

• support pediatric patients in a more targeted and individualized way

• identify new treatment approaches for rare childhood diseases

These are just a few examples of our AI4Good projects. Thereby all our projects contribute to shaping the world in a sustainable and positive way.

What drives us

Our work would not be possible without the people behind it. This year, more than 40 volunteers supported us: from data scientists and machine learning engineers to media professionals and PMOs, as well as AI ethics experts and experienced senior leaders on our advisory board.

At the same time, the bulk of the work was carried out by our fantastic full-time team. Many thanks to Dr. Tine Scheffelmeier, Dr. Adjmal Sarwary, Dr. Denis Dalic, Dr. Paul Springer, and everyone who was part of MI4People this year. You are amazing!

AI for the public good thrives primarily on collaboration, trust, and responsibility, not on technology alone 😉 A huge thank you and a big round of applause for all our volunteers, staff members, and partners!

Outlook for 2026

We have a lot planned and January already kicks off with several highlights:

1. A new look Our visual identity will receive a comprehensive update. Stay tuned, it’s a big step forward.

2. New application round for “Nachhaltig Wirken” From February onward, public-benefit organizations will once again have the opportunity to become our partners within the framework of our funding program.

3. New additions to the MI4People universe: “aska” and “baska” Two new AI companions are joining us. We’ll keep you posted on what they can do, how they will support you, and where they will be deployed in the future.

Thank you all for this intense, inspiring, and exciting year!

2026 will be even more impactful, bolder, and more human. We look forward to shaping it together with you!

We wish you restful winter holidays and a happy new year!

Your MI4People Team