Why intent changes everything – the International Rescue Committee’s AI operating model for humanitarian crises

How do you deploy AI in situations where the people you're trying to support may need information, trust, reassurance, empathy and human contact at one of the worst moments in their lives?

That was the question I put to Andre Heller, director of the Signpost project at the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

And his answer was interesting — you do it carefully.

But most of all, you do it with an intent to extend the reach of human support, not to automate as many of the interactions as possible.

Heller’s introduction to the work of Signpost shows what that human support involves:

The Signpost project is essentially a light touch form of social work that's conducted over digital channels, aimed at supporting populations impacted by armed conflict or disaster. We support them to understand what their options are throughout the arc of a crisis — how to access services,...

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