Microsoft says ACTS will provide governments with tools to combat corruption. One of the main problems with corruption is how hard it is to detect. Specifically, corruption in this case is when money provided for social welfare projects get taken and filtered from those projects. ACTS will help make tracking corruption easier for government by relying on Microsoft Cloud technology and artificial intelligence. With machine learning and data visualization, the project helps to protect investments. Microsoft is partnering with Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to tackle corruption in Latin America with anti-corruption projects.
Fighting Back
Microsoft says combatting organizational corruption is a major issue affecting all companies and governments: “At Microsoft, we believe corruption is an urgent global issue that can and must be solved. It will require a focused and comprehensive solution, and it will require governments, civil society, and the private sector all working together to promote transparency, create effective controls, and drive accountability. It is a daunting task, but never before has the world had the kinds of tools to fight corruption that exist today. “We know, for instance, that data can illuminate hidden patterns and relationships to provide governments with better tools to ensure public moneys go to their intended purposes. Technology resources such as cloud computing, data visualization, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning provide powerful tools for governments and corporations to aggregate and analyze their enormous and complex datasets in the cloud, ferreting out corruption from the shadows where it lives, and even preventing corruption before it happens.” Microsoft is keeping the details of the project quiet, although it is clear the company is looking for more partners in other regions.