Artificial Intelligence In The Service Of Humanitarian Aid

Artificial intelligence is no longer limited to humanoid robots or virtual assistants. At the AI for Good summit, several humanitarian organizations presented projects aimed at facilitating the delivery of aid, accelerating disaster response, and providing better support for refugees.

The World Food Programme, the United Nations agency responsible for food aid, is notably preparing field tests of remotely operated vehicles equipped with artificial intelligence technologies and semi-autonomous capabilities.

Named "SHERP," these imposing all-terrain vehicles, standing 9 feet tall, were originally designed in Ukraine to operate in extreme and hard-to-reach environments. Assisted by AI, they can be remotely piloted in dangerous areas where human intervention would be particularly risky.

Their primary advantage is the ability to reach isolated regions or areas made inaccessible by conflicts, natural disasters, or the lack of road infrastructure. They would also significantly reduce delivery costs, especially compared to the use of helicopters.

For the World Food Programme, this technology could make it possible to reach populations who, until now, have remained out of reach of humanitarian operations. These vehicles could thus be used to deliver aid to Sudan, South Sudan, or even Uganda.

Initial trials have already been conducted in Germany. Tests under real conditions are planned in Uganda in 2028 in order to assess their effectiveness in particularly challenging environments.

Among the roughly 200 exhibitors present at the summit were also humanoid robots, emotional companions, and several tools developed by the United Nations.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has notably unveiled a virtual legal assistant powered by artificial intelligence. This tool is intended for lawyers and legal professionals representing refugees in various national judicial systems.

Its goal is to help them assemble cases more quickly and efficiently, by enabling them to identify relevant legal texts and information. According to its designers, speeding up these procedures can have decisive consequences and help save the lives of many refugees.

Another initiative presented: DISHA, a data analysis program serving social and humanitarian action. This project is based in particular on partnerships with private companies such as Google in order to provide humanitarian organizations with data and artificial intelligence models.

These technologies should make it possible to accelerate and improve interventions after a disaster. AI can, for example, quickly analyze satellite images taken before and after an earthquake in order to assess the extent of the damage, identify destroyed buildings, and determine the areas where aid is most urgently needed.

Whether it’s delivering food to remote areas, defending the rights of refugees, or assessing the consequences of a natural disaster, artificial intelligence is thus opening up new opportunities for humanitarian organizations. These are tools that do not replace human intervention, but can help make it faster, more precise, and more effective.