Blog series: The impact of AI on Impact Investing – part 2/10
In my first post I shared how I see AI as a force for equal opportunity. For a long time, access to capital, to technical expertise, and to privileged networks determined who could start and scale a company. Those without such access often had no chance, no matter how strong their ideas or how motivated they were.
AI is shifting that reality. Knowledge and tools that used to be available only to a few are now broadly accessible. Complex products can be developed, iterated and scaled with far fewer resources. In that sense, AI lowers barriers and levels the playing field. Success depends less on what you already have, and more on who you are: your ambition, your creativity, your resilience, your drive.
That was the essence of my first post. But equal opportunity is not the same as equal outcome. This is where the conversation needs to continue.
Because while AI creates the possibility for many more people to build, it does not guarantee that the results will be fair, inclusive or impactful. Tools are available to all, but how they are used is what matters. Will we see AI leading to a wider diversity of founders, more inclusive teams, and businesses that address urgent societal challenges? Or will we mainly see an acceleration of what already exists: the same type of ventures, the same concentration of power, only scaled faster?
I believe that the the answer lies in intent. Technology itself is neutral. AI can be used to serve narrow interests and create convenience for the few. Or it can be used to broaden opportunity, reduce inequality and enable more people to participate fully in society. The technology doesn’t choose, people do. And that is where ambition, values and purpose come in.
As impact investors, our responsibility is not just to provide capital, but to recognize and support those founders who consciously use these new tools with intent for impact. Those who see technology not as an end, but as a means to build companies that matter.
In my next post, I want to go deeper into what this means for impact investing in practice. How do we adapt our own approach: from sourcing and screening to due diligence and scaling support? How can we best succeed in not only investing in companies that use AI, but in companies that use AI with the right intent?
I would love to hear your views: will AI really diversify the founder landscape and lead to more inclusive companies, or will it mainly reinforce existing inequalities? What do you see happening already in your field? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments on LinkedIn here.
