Accelerating Food-Land-Water Systems Research through Responsible AI

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Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

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Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

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Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

10AM

Schedule title

Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast and connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Location

Speaker Name

Speaker Title

Speaker Organization

Accelerating Food-Land-Water Systems Research through Responsible AI

September

–

September

2025

RSVPs Closed

About the Event

AI for Food-Land-Water Systems: CGIAR Workshop

AI offers powerful opportunities to tackle agriculture’s challenges—climate change, resource scarcity, and population growth—by improving decision-making and strengthening Food, Land, and Water (FLW) systems. To advance responsible integration, IWMI, CGIAR Centers, and partners will host a workshop, Accelerating Food-Land-Water Systems Research in CGIAR through Responsible AI Integration (24–26 September 2025).

About the Workshop
This three-day event will bring together researchers and practitioners to:

- Review CGIAR’s AI landscape
- Explore opportunities for responsible innovation
- Co-develop a shared roadmap for scaling AI adoption
- Engage with the AI Co-Scientist initiative, fostering ethical, inclusive, and impactful use of AI

Background
CGIAR has steadily integrated digital technologies and AI, from the Big Data Platform (2017) to today’s Digital Transformation Accelerator. Applications such as crop monitoring, disease detection, and yield forecasting have shown AI’s value, but challenges remain limited infrastructure, fragmented data, and uneven skills. CGIAR aims to raise institutional readiness, build consistent AI capacity, and deepen responsible integration through initiatives like the AI Co-Scientist—a digital assistant that collaborates with researchers and accelerates innovation.

Objectives

- Build shared understanding of AI in CGIAR research
- Assess AI maturity and readiness across centers
- Explore applied use cases and innovations
- Introduce the AI Co-Scientist
- Co-create a roadmap for inclusive, responsible AI

Who Should Attend
Researchers, practitioners, and designers from agriculture, water, ecology, economics, sociology, media, and more. Special emphasis on engaging women and youth to ensure diverse, inclusive perspectives.

How to Prepare
Reflect on AI use in your work or related fields—tools, practices, projects, or challenges. Share insights before and during the workshop to inform the current-state assessment and guide the vision for scaling AI in CGIAR.

Key questions to consider:

- Where have you seen AI applied in research?
- What opportunities could AI bring to CGIAR’s impact?
- What barriers (data, infrastructure, skills, ethics) need addressing?
- How could the AI Co-Scientist support your work?

A few examples of relevant contributions could include:
- Accelerating scientific breakthroughs with an AI co-scientist
- Ethics of Artificial Intelligence | UNESCO

ADD TO CALENDAR

Speakers

Mark Smith

Director General

IWMI

Ram Dhulipala

Senior Scientist - Digital Agriculture and Innovation | Interim Director, Digital Transformation Accelerator

ILRI

Jawoo Koo

Senior Research Fellow | Deputy Director, Digital Transformation Accelerator

IFPRI

Daniel Jimenez

Senior Scientist ,
Digital Inclusion | DTA AoW 3 Lead

Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

Carolina Martins

Research Consultant, Ethical AI & Digital Inclusiveness

IWMI

Leroy Mwanzia

Head of Digital & Data

CIP

Paulo Silva

Senior Digital Transformation Solution Architect

IWMI

Mariangel Andarcia Garcia

Research Group Leader, Water Futures Data & Analytics (WFDA) | DTA AoW3 Co-Lead

IWMI

Eliot Jones - Garcia

Senior Research Analyst ,

Human-AI Ethics and Design Team

IFPRI

Surajit Ghosh

Regional Researcher , Integrated Water Data Science Expert

IWMI

Agenda

DAY I - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2025

08.00 - 08.30

Registration

08:30 - 08.45

Welcome & Framing

Official kick-off by CGIAR leadership - Mark Smith and Angie. Introduction to the day's objectives and framing around AI's role in CGIAR's R&D future.

08.45 - 09.00

CGIAR’s Digital Transformation Accelerator

Introduction to the Digital Transformation Accelerator and vision on AI to advance R&D - Ram & Jawoo

09.00 - 09.30

Setting the scene for the workshop

Presentation what is in motion

09.30 - 10.00

Coffee Break and Group Photo

10.00 - 11.00

Part 1: Mapping the Present

CGIAR Centers 5 min pitch on their work on AI

Presentations: Introduction to Identification of Current R&D AI Usage across Centers

11.00 - 12.00

Exercise: Reflection on R&D AI Usage, Enablers and Blockers (breakout groups)

12.00 - 12.50

What does the data say about that?

Study findings by Eliot and plenary discussion

12.50 - 13.00

Wrap Up of Part 1: Mapping the Present

13.00 - 14.00

Lunch

14.00 - 14.15

Part 2: Envisioning the Future

Recap morning themes. Setting the tone for the desired state.

14.15 - 15.15

Where do we want to go? (breakout groups)

Breakout groups to work on the desired state of incremental and transformational change.

15.15 - 15.30

Coffee Break

15.30 - 16.30

Where vision takes form (breakout groups)

Breakout groups for LEGO Serious Play modeling on what we want AI in CGIAR R&D look like in the future.

16.30 - 17.20

Group presentations (plenary)

Presentation of LEGO Serious Play group models and plenary discussion

17.20 - 17.30

Closing and bridge for Day II

Day II - THURSDAY, 25th SEPTEMBER 2025

08.30 - 08.45

Welcome & Framing

Recap Day 01 and set goals for day 02: develop actionable, aligned OKRs (transitioning from KPIs) to measuring progress and success.

08.45 - 10.40

Designing for Success I

Revision intentions from day 01. Breakout session for crafting objectives and key results for strategic intent, organizational readiness, adoption and use, governance and ethics, and MELIA. Resonance assessment.

10.40 - 11.00

Coffee break

11.00 - 12.15

Designing for Success II

Groups refine Objectives and Key Results, followed by a plenary session to surface overlaps, gaps and shared results across pillars.

12.15 - 12.30

Wrap Up of Part 2 – Envisioning the Future

12.30 - 13.30

Lunch

13.30 - 13.50

Part 3 – Planning the Journey

Setting the scene: AI Co-scientist's Google project
Insights from Future Scenarios Workshop

13.50 - 14.10

AI Superpower for CGIAR Researchers

Interactive exercise

14.10 - 14.40

AI Co-Scientist core team research findings

Evolution of AI systems, architectures, patterns, tools, projects

14.40 - 14.50

Human-Centered Design

Applying Design Thinking Methodology and Collaboration Tools to facilitate the co-design of an AI Framework and an AI Co-Scientist system

14.50 - 15.10

Coffee Break

15.10 - 16.00

Brainstorming: Setting the Foundations

How might we implement an AI Platform so that researchers can have access to a set of validated/approved tools, data and models (Organizational Support, Capabilities Across the Value Chain, Ecosystem Integration)

16.00 - 16.50

Brainstorming: Domain Contextualization How might we shape the platform for the FLW

Domain so that researchers can accelerate development of FLW solutions (Accelerators, Domain Models, Mapped Use Cases)

16.50 - 17.00

Closing and bridge for Day III

11.00 - 12.00

Exercise: Reflection on R&D AI Usage, Enablers and Blockers (breakout groups)

12.00 - 12.50

What does the data say about that?

Study findings by Eliot and plenary discussion

12.50 - 13.00

Wrap Up of Part 1: Mapping the Present

13.00 - 14.00

Lunch

14.00 - 14.15

Part 2: Envisioning the Future

Recap morning themes. Setting the tone for the desired state.

14.15 - 15.15

Where do we want to go? (breakout groups)

Breakout groups to work on the desired state of incremental and transformational change.

15.15 - 15.30

Coffee Break

15.30 - 16.30

Where vision takes form (breakout groups)

Breakout groups for LEGO Serious Play modeling on what we want AI in CGIAR R&D look like in the future.

16.30 - 17.20

Group presentations (plenary)

Presentation of LEGO Serious Play group models and plenary discussion

17.20 - 17.30

Closing and bridge for Day II

Day II - THURSDAY, 25th SEPTEMBER 2025

08.30 - 08.45

Welcome & Framing

Recap Day 01 and set goals for day 02: develop actionable, aligned OKRs (transitioning from KPIs) to measuring progress and success.

08.45 - 10.40

Designing for Success I

10.40 - 11.00

Coffee break

11.00 - 12.15

Designing for Success II

Groups refine Objectives and Key Results, followed by a plenary session to surface overlaps, gaps and shared results across pillars.

12.15 - 12.30

Wrap Up of Part 2 – Envisioning the Future

12.30 - 13.30

Lunch

13.30 - 13.50

Part 3 – Planning the Journey

Setting the scene: AI Co-scientist's Google project
Insights from Future Scenarios Workshop

13.50 - 14.10

AI Superpower for CGIAR Researchers

Interactive exercise

14.10 - 14.40

AI Co-Scientist core team research findings

Evolution of AI systems, architectures, patterns, tools, projects

14.40 - 14.50

Human-Centered Design

Applying Design Thinking Methodology and Collaboration Tools to facilitate the co-design of an AI Framework and an AI Co-Scientist system

14.50 - 15.10

Coffee Break

15.10 - 16.00

Brainstorming: Setting the Foundations

16.00 - 16.50

Brainstorming: Domain Contextualization How might we shape the platform for the FLW

Domain so that researchers can accelerate development of FLW solutions (Accelerators, Domain Models, Mapped Use Cases)

16.50 - 17.00

Closing and bridge for Day III

DAY III – FRIDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 2025

8.30 - 8.45

Welcome & Framing

Recap Day II and set goals for Day III: from Ideation to Prototyping

08.45 - 10.15

Introduction to CGIAR’s AI Co-Scientist

Presentation and discussion on the AI Co-Scientist approach and its relevance to CGIAR

10.15 - 10.40

Empathy Map: Who are we designing for

Group Breakouts to characterize our end user Personas, based on insights and opportunities detected in previous sessions

10.40 - 11.00

Coffee Break

11.00 - 12.00

Ideation: CGIAR’s AI Co-Scientist How might we build a solution to support our end users work and address the identified opportunities

12.00 - 12.30

Prioritization: Impact vs Effort Matrix Group Breakouts to sort and prioritize ideas, identify strategic bets and quick wins.

12.30 - 13.30

Lunch

13.30 - 14.50

Concept Prototyping: CGIAR’s AI Co-Scientist Group Breakouts to create a storyboard that communicates how the selected ideas work for end users

14.50 - 15.10

Coffee Break

15.10 - 16.00

Brainstorming: Enabling Environment How might we enable end users to effectively use the AI Platform (Learning Plans, Capacity Building, Guidelines and Policies)

16.00 - 16.40

Continuing the Journey: Next steps

The Co-Creation Loop and asynchronous collaboration between the Core Team and AI Champions (AI Co-Scientist Workspace on Microsoft Loop)

16.40 - 16.50

Wrap Up of Part 3 – Planning the Journey

16.50 - 17.00

Workshop Closure – Final Remarks

17.30 - 18.30

Group Dinner

DAY III – FRIDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 2025

8.30 - 8.45

Welcome & Framing

Recap Day II and set goals for Day III: from Ideation to Prototyping

08.45 - 10.15

Introduction to CGIAR’s AI Co-Scientist

Presentation and discussion on the AI Co-Scientist approach and its relevance to CGIAR

10.15 - 10.40

Empathy Map: Who are we designing for

Group Breakouts to characterize our end user Personas, based on insights and opportunities detected in previous sessions

10.40 - 11.00

Coffee Break

11.00 - 12.00

Ideation: CGIAR’s AI Co-Scientist How might we build a solution to support our end users work and address the identified opportunities

12.00 - 12.30

Prioritization: Impact vs Effort Matrix Group Breakouts to sort and prioritize ideas, identify strategic bets and quick wins.

12.30 - 13.30

Lunch

13.30 - 14.50

Concept Prototyping: CGIAR’s AI Co-Scientist Group Breakouts to create a storyboard that communicates how the selected ideas work for end users

14.50 - 15.10

Coffee Break

15.10 - 16.00

Brainstorming: Enabling Environment How might we enable end users to effectively use the AI Platform (Learning Plans, Capacity Building, Guidelines and Policies)