The Ethics of 'Information as Aid’: AI, Security, and Innovation in Crisis Regions - Ethics in AI Lunchtime Research Seminars

As AI becomes an inevitable force reshaping the world, its impacts will disproportionately affect the Global South, where vulnerabilities like conflict, economic fragility, and authoritarianism persist. Sara Wahedi, CEO of Civaam and founder of the Ehtesab App, will explore the deployment of AI in crisis regions, drawing on U.S. military efforts to use AI for predicting insurgent attacks in Afghanistan starting in 2018. Wahedi will discuss the profound risks and opportunities AI presents for fragile states, emphasising the importance of ethical safeguards, locally driven innovation, and human oversight in mitigating automation bias and ensuring AI systems serve as tools for empowerment rather than exploitation.