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What to expect in 120 minutes?

AI for Humanitarian Work: Comparing Tools and Making Informed Choices

How can humanitarian practitioners choose AI tools that fit their needs and uphold humanitarian principles? This two-hour online session on 3 November 2026 introduces a practical approach to assessing available AI models. We will combine technical performance benchmarks with criteria specific to humanitarian work, including ethical standards, data protection, reliability and cost. Participants will explore how to weight these criteria for their own use cases, from handling sensitive information to working with anonymised data, and develop a basis for independently evaluating different tools.

The second part examines practical applications and the opportunities, limitations and risks of using AI in humanitarian operations, including the implications of excluding it altogether. Five principles guide the discussion: protecting coordinators from misleading outputs, upholding the moral and ethical standards of disaster relief, strengthening human judgement, ensuring accountability, and maintaining a clear distinction from military intelligence. Through discussion and exchange, participants will consider how AI can support their work while preserving human dialogue and responsibility. The session concludes with an introduction to forthcoming training opportunities and time for questions.