French version: click here

The moment

The humanitarian sector is at an inflection point. Crises are multiplying exponentially, democracy and international law are eroding, and resources are shrinking. At the same time, artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the way the world gathers information, makes decisions and allocates resources — creating opportunities, but also risks stemming from a lack of safeguards. Humanitarian organizations are adopting AI tools in a fragmented way, often without the necessary governance, training or ethical grounding. Meanwhile, AI is being developed with little consideration for field actors, and even less for local populations. This humanitarian AI paradox has a human cost.

« individual AI uptake continues to outpace organisational readiness » -Humanitarian Leadership Academy & Data Friendly Space

It is the finding of a global survey of 1,729 humanitarian practitioners across more than 120 countries: 95% have used AI in their work, but only 9% report that it is widely integrated at the organizational level, and barely 23% have a formal policy in place.

Launched by the Canadian Research Institute on humanitarian crisis and aid (OCCAH), this Lab builds on:

A high-level humanitarian network — established relationships with key figures in the international humanitarian sector, Canadian foreign policy and academic research
Roots in a leading AI ecosystem — operational experience in crisis contexts around the world, combined with ties to the Montreal ecosystem: Canadian universities and a network of researchers committed to responsible and ethical AI.
A rigorous scientific program grounded in the current challenges facing the humanitarian sector

We believe AI will not replace human judgment in humanitarian response — but that it can amplify it, if it is developed and deployed in a coherent, ethical and informed way. Our work is firmly grounded in field needs, guided by humanitarian principles, and open to innovation and cutting-edge humanitarian studies research.

The proposition

Humanitair-AI LAB is an initiative of the Canadian Observatory on Crises and Humanitarian Action (OCCAH) that connects humanitarian practitioners, AI researchers and decision-makers to think and act together on how artificial intelligence can strengthen humanitarian response, today and tomorrow, while ensuring it remains ethical and safe.

It is a space for reflection and action — a living lab: grounded in field realities, connected to the frontiers of research, and committed to producing concrete results for the humanitarian sector in Canada and in the humanitarian contexts where we work.

1) Applied research and knowledge production

Humanitair-AI LAB is first and foremost a multidisciplinary research laboratory supporting the responsible development of AI for the humanitarian sector in Canada and in the field.

Research areas

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Governance and Ethics

Redistribution of informational power
North-South technological dependency
Algorithmic outsourcing of decisions
Ethics, values and human judgment
Data protection
Legal issues

Humanitarian effectiveness

Proposal writing, program management, monitoring and evaluation
Forecasting and prospective analysis
Medical services
Supply chain optimization

Sectoral impact

Disinformation
Democratic deficit
Militarization of AI

Activities

Documenting the social and political impacts of AI in humanitarian work and international cooperation
- Producing publications, research briefs and case studies.
Building a sector-wide knowledge base
- Pooling lessons learned, mistakes, successes and replicable models.
Developing a critical and contextualized approach to AI
- Avoiding both techno-solutionist enthusiasm and apocalyptic pessimism by integrating a fact-based analysis of technological developments and power asymmetries, consistent with an approach to structural dynamics in cooperation and with humanitarian principles.
Bridging practitioners and researchers
- Organizing convening events that encourage the production and sharing of knowledge (conferences, panels, etc.)
- Digital dissemination of knowledge and experience (podcasts, blog, etc.)

2) Support for organizational capacity

Humanitair-AI LAB Lab aims to provide concrete support to the Canadian humanitarian community, where research serves operational support to NGOs. Through strategic partnerships and high-level consultants, Humanitair-AI LAB offers services to organizations and individuals seeking to build their capacity in the ethical and responsible use of AI.

Activities

Assessing NGO maturity in AI
- National survey on the evolution of AI integration within Canadian NGOs (survey, KIIs, etc.)
- Development of organizational diagnostic tools (digital culture, infrastructure, data governance, in-house skills).
- Supporting NGOs in their AI development

Training
- Using generative AI in the Canadian organizational context
- Using applied AI: proposal writing, monitoring and evaluation, program management, fundraising
- Organizational AI policy

3) Experimentation

Humanitair-AI LAB is designed as a living laboratory that will identify the needs of its community of practice and develop, together with it, the innovations needed for AI to support humanitarian response.

Activities

Prototyping concrete AI use cases for humanitarian action
- Needs mapping
- Development, testing and evaluation of high-value use cases for NGOs (predictive analysis, project management, monitoring and evaluation, needs mapping, administrative automation, assisted qualitative analysis, etc.).

Launching pilot projects co-designed with partner NGOs
- An iterative approach (design thinking, rapid prototyping, field testing), systematically documenting organizational and operational impacts.
- An online sharing space where organizations can express their needs and researchers can present their expertise, in order to facilitate connections between them.