Through AI Com, Lenovo and Ashoka are bridging the gap between technological innovation and social impact
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries and societies, Lenovo is making a clear commitment: ensuring that this transformation also delivers meaningful impact for communities.
This vision sits at the core of the company’s global strategy—Smarter AI for all—and is taking shape in Latin America through AI Com, an initiative developed in partnership with Ashoka. Together, Lenovo and Ashoka are bridging the gap between technological innovation and social impact—creating new pathways to address some of the region’s most pressing challenges.
As Alice Damasceno, Director of Corporate Citizenship for Lenovo in Latin America, explains, “We are at a pivotal moment where artificial intelligence is not only transforming markets, but redefining access to opportunity. In this context, initiatives like AI Com demonstrate how connecting technology with purpose can turn innovation into tangible, real-world impact.”
AI Com: building a community for impact
AI Com was created with a focused goal: to identify, connect, and strengthen social entrepreneurs who are using AI to generate social impact.
More than a program, it is a collaborative community—where innovators come together to share knowledge, develop solutions, and scale their impact through connection.
For Laura Benbenaste, Ashoka’s Latam tech lead, what makes AI Com unique is not only the projects it brings together, but the collective power it unlocks. “The initiative reflects the emergence of a new generation of social entrepreneurs—leaders who already think at the intersection of technology and impact, and who grow stronger when connected in community”, shares Benbenaste.
AI solving real-world challenges
The initiatives within AI Com demonstrate how AI can deliver tangible results:
- Huésped uses AI to bring specialized medical diagnosis support to rural and underprivileged areas.
- ReNaBaP applies data and imagery analysis to map underserved communities and expand access to public services.
- El Surti is developing an AI system specially created by and for speakers of Guaraní, an indigenous and mainly oral language spoken across Paraguay.
- Factchequeado combats misinformation in Latino and Hispanic communities.
These examples highlight a key shift: the most meaningful innovation is not just technological, it is transformational.
AI Com contributes to a broader shift in how artificial intelligence is understood: moving beyond technical advancement toward social impact and system change.
By nurturing a regional ecosystem of changemakers, Lenovo and Ashoka are helping shape a new generation of leaders—capable of applying AI to expand opportunity and strengthen communities.
Smarter AI for all: turning vision into action
AI Com is a concrete example of how Lenovo is putting its vision to democratize AI into practice.
By providing access to artificial intelligence and enabling collaboration across sectors, the initiative shows that the future of AI will not be defined by technology alone, but by how it is applied to create value for society.
