Is AI actually making life better for the people and places you love?
We check, and we keep score.
Certified Good is an independent publication that reports on AI projects of every kind, weighs the good each one does against its real cost, and certifies the best. Good intentions that fall short get an honest look too.
The night the forest called for help
Rangers in [Region] now hear poachers before they strike: sensors and AI alert them within [time].
Why it matters: A few rangers cover huge areas. An earlier warning is often the difference between a patrol and a loss.
Does it help the people we love?
Before we score anything, we ask one question across four generations. Every take we publish answers it.
- ParentsDoes it help the people who raised us?
- MeDoes it help me, at work and at home?
- KidsDoes it help our kids grow up well?
- GrandkidsWill it help the world they inherit?
Everyone says AI will change the world. We check what it actually changed.
- 01 · FindFrom people, not press releasesStories come from the people doing the work and the people it affects. Anyone can send us one.
- 02 · ReportNamed sources, labeled evidenceWe interview the builders, the users and at least one critic, and mark every number as independent or self-reported.
- 03 · WeighEvery project, same rubricWe each score the good it does against its real cost, from 0 to 10, with the Four-Generation Test as our guide. Both scores get published.
- 04 · CertifyThe best earn Certified GoodProjects whose average score is above 8.0 earn the mark. It can't be bought, and it's reviewed again over time.
More stories
All stories →A second pair of eyes on every mammogram
A trial of 100,000 women asked whether AI catches cancers doctors miss.
The tutor who never logs off
At a community college where most students work full time, an AI tutor is there at midnight. Is it helping them pass?
The helpline that meant well
A city built an AI line to help renters facing eviction. It answered fast, and too often wrong.
One photo, one saved harvest
A farmer, a sick plant and an app that knew what was wrong.
The Top 10, by our scores
- 1Lund University (MASAI trial)Independent studyAI-supported mammography found more cancers in a randomized trial of about 106,000 women.[x.x]/10
- 2Kaiser PermanenteOrganization-reportedAI scribes took hours of paperwork off physicians across millions of visits.[x.x]/10
- 3Jacaranda HealthOrganization-reportedAI-assisted texts answer thousands of questions a day from Kenyan mothers, with humans checking replies.[x.x]/10
One story worth telling, every Tuesday.
A 5-minute read: the week's story, three quick wins, and one AI harm to watch for.
Free · [3,000] readers · Unsubscribe anytime · Read last week's issueTwo people, one question
Two people, not an algorithm, choose and score every story. We both work in tech, we don't always agree, and we say so up front.
Why we're doing this →