The humanitarian sector is experiencing unprecedented challenges as 2024 unfolds, with new United Nations estimates indicating a record 120 million individuals displaced by violence and disaster, a figure that has doubled in the last decade. Additionally, the total number of those requiring humanitarian assistance has surged to 300 million, driven by increasingly violent conflicts and the escalating consequences of climate change. Notably, progress towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals appears to have stagnated or worsened in more than half of the world’s fragile countries. A child born in such environments faces a tenfold higher likelihood of experiencing poverty compared to peers in more stable regions.
Amidst these crises, there is a growing call for a technological surge in humanitarian response, particularly through the application of digital and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. In a report from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the organisation highlights the transformative potential of AI for humanitarian action, enabling enhancements in scale, speed, reach, personalization, and cost-efficiency. The IRC’s Airbel research and innovation lab is actively investigating various applications of AI within humanitarian programming, focusing on three critical domains: information dissemination, education, and climate resilience, supported by promising public-private partnerships.
One significant initiative is the global information project called Signpost, which collaborates with major organisations including Google.org, the Cisco Foundation, and Zendesk. Signpost aims to deliver crucial information to millions of displaced persons through digital channels and social media. This initiative seeks to provide timely and reliable context-specific information about trustworthy services and safe locations, thereby reducing the power of smugglers who often exploit misinformation to prey on vulnerable populations. An innovative aspect of this project is the establishment of an "AI prototyping lab" which will evaluate and enhance the use of Generative AI across the humanitarian sector.
Moreover, there is a growing interest in employing Generative AI to augment and tailor educational experiences for the 224 million children impacted by crises globally. One of the significant hurdles to overcome is the adaptation of AI models to understand and integrate local languages, particularly in Africa. Lelapa AI, a regional research and product lab, is dedicated to developing new languages to enhance AI applications in the continent. Additionally, OpenAI is providing reduced cost access to ChatGPT specifically for non-profit organisations, thus facilitating greater educational outreach.
OpenAI is also backing the development of AprendAI, a global AI-driven chatbot platform designed to offer personalised digital learning experiences at scale through messaging services, targeting children, teachers, and parents affected by crises while prioritising local language functionality.
Furthermore, AI is increasingly recognised for its capacity to safeguard communities vulnerable to extreme weather events. Google, in cooperation with various NGOs, governmental bodies, and the UN, has introduced an AI-powered "Flood Hub" that forecasts flooding across 80 countries. Collaborating with IRC and the NGO GiveDirectly, Google.org is implementing machine learning techniques in Northeast Nigeria to establish forecasting systems that trigger early warnings and facilitate cash transfers in advance of potential climate-related disasters.
The discourse around artificial intelligence is enriched by insights from scholar and historian Yuval Noah Harari, who characterises AI as possibly the most perilous yet potentially the most beneficial technology ever conceived. As global humanitarian efforts advance towards 2025, the focus remains on ensuring that the advantages of AI are directed towards benefiting the most impoverished populations around the world.
Source: Noah Wire Services