AI in practice: Bridging the implementation gap

Across the global development landscape, artificial intelligence promises to redefine how health, education, and social protection services are delivered. However, moving past small-scale piloting to deliver measurable, population-level impact amid tightening budgets is rarely a pure tech challenge — it is an organizational and human one. In this special edition episode of the This Week in Global Development podcast, sponsored by Boston Consulting Group, Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar sits down with Renee Laverdiere, managing director and partner at BCG. Together, they unpack why pacesetting organizations follow the 10-20-70 rule — 10% and 20% of AI value coming from data and algorithms, and the remaining 70% from people, process, and change management — how leadership can overcome workforce scaling bottlenecks, and how to structure vendor partnerships that build lasting internal capability rather than permanent dependency.