NLP Community of Practice
The Natural Language Processing Community of Practice (NLP-CoP) brings together monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) practitioners, artificial intelligence (AI) experts, and data responsibility advocates to learn and collaborate. We focus on responsible, appropriate, and effective applications of NLP (including Generative AI) to address demand-driven, real-world MERL challenges.
We aim to reach and support an array of audiences who may not have data science backgrounds, presenting complex and opaque concepts in accessible ways. We work together to influence the use of NLP and GenAI for MERL, and we advocate for a stronger role of MERL professionals in evaluating the effects of NLP and GenAI in social sector programming and wider society.
The NLP-CoP is part of the wider MERL Tech community, which has focused on the responsible use of digital data and technologies in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning practices for over a decade. The MERL Tech Initiative convenes and supports the CoP.
The Goals of the NLP-CoP are to:
- Connect and build a diverse network of MERL practitioners committed to learning about and advocating for responsible, ethical applications of NLP and Generative AI for MERL in development, humanitarian, human rights, peace building, and philanthropy work.
- Democratize understanding of NLP and Generative AI technologies and what they can (and cannot or should not) do for MERL, especially in support of problems and practitioners in global majority countries.
- Identify, explore, develop and/or pilot ethical and responsible NLP/GenAI tools, systems, code, and models for MERL and share those lessons in the public domain.
- Develop guidance, and support materials as public goods to enable responsible uptake and scaling of NLP and Generative AI technologies for MERL and to equip MERL professionals to better assess and evaluate NLP/GenAI models and uses more broadly.
- Influence how the MERL sector (and beyond) understands and views NLP and Generative AI at practical and systems levels and raise the alarm on contexts and instances when the use of NLP/GenAI technologies should be actively discouraged or discontinued.
Become a member!
Membership is free! To become a member of the NLP-CoP, fill in this form indicating your agreement and alignment with the NLP-CoP Charter and Code of Conduct.