Amplifying Impact Through AI: A Human-Centred Approach for Social Enterprises

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world around us. It is reshaping industries, redefining job scopes, and becoming part of the way organisations communicate, deliver services and make decisions. For Social Enterprises, these changes carry particular significance. Many exist to address complex social challenges, expand opportunities for underserved communities, and remove barriers that prevent people from participating fully in society. As AI becomes more accessible, it also presents new possibilities to strengthen that work.

The conversation therefore extends beyond adopting another digital tool. It invites Social Enterprise Founders to consider a deeper question: how can AI help more people thrive, while preserving the trust, dignity and human relationships that sit at the heart of social impact?

These questions formed the centrepiece of raiSE's panel discussion at Echelon Singapore 2026, moderated by Subashini Balakrishnan, Assistant CEO of raiSE. She was joined by Yeoh Wan Qing, Founder of Hatch (a raiSE Verified Leading Social Enterprise), Sandy Kunvatanagarn, Head of Government Policy, APAC at OpenAI, and Arvin Tang, Founder and CEO of AKIN and a raiSE Mentor.

Drawing from their experiences across the technology, business and social sectors, the panellists explored how AI can strengthen social impact when it is applied with intention. Throughout the discussion, one message emerged consistently: AI should always begin with people.

Start with the Barrier

When conversations about AI begin, it is often tempting to focus on the technology itself — what it can automate, how quickly it can analyse information, or which new capabilities it offers.

For Social Enterprises, a more meaningful starting point is the challenge faced by the communities they serve.

Is language preventing someone from accessing opportunities? Is confidence holding a jobseeker back? Are geographical distance, accessibility or limited resources creating barriers to support?

When these questions come first, AI becomes a means of addressing a genuine need rather than an objective in itself.

This thinking aligns closely with raiSE's Social Impact Framework. Intentionality, Additionality and Proportionality encourage Social Enterprises to remain clear about the outcomes they seek to create and the value they add for their beneficiaries. These same principles provide a useful guide as organisations explore AI. Technology should strengthen impact, while remaining anchored to the purpose that drives the organisation.

Expanding Human Capability

Throughout the discussion, the examples that resonated most were not about technology replacing people. They were about helping people achieve what was previously difficult or out of reach.

Wan Qing shared the story of a Mandarin-speaking team member who initially struggled to participate confidently in strategic discussions conducted in English. By experimenting with AI tools, she created workflows that translated complex information into her preferred language before converting her own ideas back into English. Over time, she built an internal communications assistant that is now used across the organisation.

Another beneficiary, who had lost her administrative role following workplace automation, entered Hatch's training programme with little confidence in her own abilities. AI became a tool that helped her organise and express her thoughts more clearly, allowing her to recognise strengths she had not previously seen in herself. While her employment journey continues, she now approaches new opportunities with greater confidence and optimism.

Sandy shared examples from around the world where AI is making everyday life more accessible. AI-powered tools are helping persons with visual impairments describe their surroundings, review presentations independently and complete tasks that previously required constant assistance from others.

These examples illustrate an important shift in perspective.

The value of AI is not simply measured by what it does for organisations. It is reflected in what people are newly able to do for themselves.

For many Social Enterprises, this represents an opportunity to strengthen inclusion by expanding access, confidence and independence for the communities they serve.

Building Agency, Not Dependency

Introducing AI into an organisation is only one part of the journey.

The more important task is helping people develop the confidence and judgement to use it well.

Across classrooms and workplaces, beneficiaries are beginning to use AI to search for information, prepare for interviews and solve everyday challenges. While these tools can unlock new possibilities, they also require critical thinking. Users need to understand when to question an answer, when to verify information, and when human advice remains essential.

As Sandy observed, access alone is not enough. People also need agency — the ability to make informed decisions about how AI should support their work, learning and daily lives.

For Social Enterprises, this creates an opportunity to build digital confidence alongside technical skills, ensuring beneficiaries are equipped to participate meaningfully in an increasingly AI-enabled society.

Protecting the Human Connection

Even as AI opens new possibilities, the panel agreed that some aspects of social impact should remain deeply human.

Hatch deliberately chose not to automate job coaching, for instance. While AI can help beneficiaries prepare interview questions or practise responses, it cannot fully replace the encouragement, empathy and judgement that experienced coaches provide. A coach notices hesitation, body language and moments where confidence begins to grow. Those interactions often form part of the intervention itself.

Similarly, organisations should continue to exercise human judgement when making decisions that affect people's lives. AI can support analysis and provide useful recommendations, but accountability remains with people.

Transparency also plays an important role in maintaining trust. Beneficiaries should have confidence in how AI is being used, when human oversight is involved, and how their information is handled. Clear communication strengthens trust and enables Social Enterprises to introduce new technologies responsibly.

Preparing for the Future

AI will continue to reshape industries, jobs and the way services are delivered.

For Social Enterprises, the challenge is not simply keeping pace with technological change. It is ensuring that beneficiaries are equipped to participate confidently in the future economy, while preserving the values that define the sector.

That means continuing to ask important questions. How can AI remove barriers that communities continue to face? How can it expand opportunities for people who have traditionally been underserved? How can it strengthen the confidence, capabilities and independence of beneficiaries? And equally, where should human relationships remain at the centre of the work? These are conversations that will continue to evolve, and they are conversations that raiSE is committed to supporting.

As more Social Enterprises explore AI, there is an opportunity to learn from one another, share practical experiences, and shape approaches that reflect both technological progress and social purpose. By remaining grounded in the needs of the communities they serve, Social Enterprises can harness AI in ways that deepen inclusion, strengthen impact and prepare beneficiaries for the future.

Ultimately, technology is only one part of the equation.

The greatest measure of success will always be the lives that are changed, the opportunities that are created, and the communities that are empowered along the way.