Yarissa Matos-Soto on AI Implementation and Bridging the Connectivity Gap

Yarissa Matos-Soto on AI Implementation and Bridging the Connectivity Gap

From Humanitarian AI Today by Humanitarian AI Today

February 22, 2026 · 12 min

About this episode

Yarissa Matos-Soto discusses the assessment of AI in the humanitarian sector and the challenges of connectivity in various environments.

Yarissa Matos-Soto, Founder of The Curioux, speaks with Humanitarian AI Today producer, Brent Phillips about the critical need to effectively assess artificial intelligence for outcomes and risks within the humanitarian sector. Drawing from her background as a biochemist, data specialist and startup founder, Yarissa explains how her organization, The Curioux, provides advisory services to help for-profit organizations structure their data strategy and pipelines to make data more actionable. Beyond her corporate work, she discusses her passion for environmental science, specifically her efforts to create open-source intelligence for biodiversity that aggregates hyper-local data. She also highlights her leadership role with the Association for Latin American Professionals (ALFA), where she works to formalize the local economy in Puerto Rico through networking and AI training initiatives. The conversation explores the practical realities of deploying technology in challenging environments, emphasizing the "hidden costs" of connectivity in places like Puerto Rico and Ukraine. Yarissa shares insights on how local professionals navigate rolling blackouts and infrastructure hurdles to…

People in this episode

Host: Brent Phillips

Guest: Yarissa Matos-Soto

Topics covered

  • AI implementation
  • humanitarian sector
  • data strategy
  • environmental science
  • connectivity challenges
  • local economy
  • AI training

Keywords

  • artificial intelligence
  • humanitarian aid
  • data strategy
  • biodiversity
  • connectivity
  • environmental science
  • local economy
  • AI training

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Curioux, Association for Latin American Professionals (ALFA)

Places: Puerto Rico, Ukraine

More episodes of Humanitarian AI Today

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Humanitarian AI Today podcast page.