Digital technologies like mobiles, biometric devices, wearables, drones, big data and AI carry significant potential for enhancing the capacity of humanitarian agencies and the efficacy of humanitarian assistance. Yet, the reliance on digital systems and data in humanitarian crises also involves substantial risks.
What are the risks of digital technologies in humanitarian action and what responsibilities are attached? How do humanitarian agencies and donors manage these risks?
These questions were explored by a range of researchers involved in the “Do no harm: Ethical humanitarian innovation and digital bodies” research project at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
Held on 19 June 2023, this is the fifth in a series of discussions on the ethics of humanitarian action. The series is initiated by PRIO and the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies in collaboration with the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) and the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC). It relates to the project “Red lines and grey zones: Exploring the ethics of humanitarian negotiations,” led by Kristoffer Lidén at PRIO.