Uses and Ethics of AI for Humanitarian Response
Executive Short Course
Artificial intelligence (AI) has increasingly reshaped humanitarian assistance and decision-making, from management information systems to data analysis, anticipatory action and biometrics. Often presented as a neutral tool for efficiency, prediction, and innovation, AI sytems in humanitarian settings raise many ethical, political, and operational challenges.
This course offers a critical and practice-oriented exploration of the uses of AI in humanitarian contexts, focusing on responsibility and accountability. The course helps humanitarian professionals to examine how AI reshapes humanitarian principles and governance, relationships with affected populations, and partnerships with the private sector.
Participants will learn to assess, evaluate, and question AI-based solutions, as well as the digital risks involved.
At the end of the course, you will be able to:
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Classify different forms of AI currently used in humanitarian responses and determine the risks involved
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Assess the promises and limits of AI-driven solutions in humanitarian contexts and formulate operational recommendations
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Propose mitigation strategies for the ethical, political, and operational risks associated with AI, including bias, exclusion, surveillance, and data extraction
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Define organisational responsibilities and governance mechanisms related to AI use
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Design context-sensitive, responsible, and realistic approaches to AI adoption
Around 20-25 hours of work each week, including:
- Asynchronous self-study activities (such as case studies, videos, recorded slideshows, readings, etc.);
- Synchronous live sessions (twice per week).
- What do we mean by AI in humanitarian action?
- Promises of AI: solutionism, techno-optimism and anticipatory governance
- Concrete uses of AI (assessment, communication, prediction)
- Working responsibly with the private sector and AI providers
- Digital risks: bias, discrimination, and systemic harm
- Surveillance, protection, and digital violence
- Governance, accountability, and organisational responsibility
- Mitigation strategies and operational recommendations for responsible innovation
- Professionals in the humanitarian, development or peacebuilding sectors involved in programme design, decision-making, governance, protection, data management, or innovation (i.e. programme managers and coordinators, policy advisors, innovation managers, security advisors, risk analysts, advocacy managers, etc.)
- Practitioners who are required to assess, evaluate, critically engage with AI-based tools and partnerships, rather than develop technical solutions themselves (i.e. protection and community engagement officers, CVA specialists, MEAL managers, early warning specialists, compliance officers, etc.)
"It wasn’t just another training; it felt like a doorway into the next generation of humanitarian practice. Learning directly from practitioners and experts redefining the field, the course offered an honest, critical look at digital innovation, from biometrics and data collection to the deeper questions of data stewardship, surveillance, and responsibility to affected communities."
Gian Libot, 2023 course participant
Interested in applying? Learn more about the admission requirements and application process here.
