Practical Application of AI in Evaluation: Value, Conditions, and Strategic Integration

Evaluation is on the cusp of a transformation, and this 60-minute proposed session at gLOCAl Evaluation Week 2026 will map exactly what that means in practice. From NLP coding thousands of transcripts in days, to predictive ML flagging, to WhatsApp chatbots amplifying voices from the most remote communities - AI is opening doors previously shut by cost, time, and distance. The session will unpack what this means for commissioners, practitioners, policymakers, and affected communities alike, drawing on four documented real-world approaches. It will also draw sharp, actionable lessons from research, journalism, clinical medicine, judicial systems, and humanitarian response - fields that navigated AI's pitfalls first, so evaluation doesn't have to. Participants will leave with one application to explore, one safeguard to commit to, and the tools to shape AI's role in evaluation before others shape it for them.