As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in global development work, the question of how it is reshaping humanitarian aid is both timely and vital. AI promises to revolutionise aid delivery, for example predicting crises before they happen and tailoring responses with unprecedented speed and accuracy. In a world facing escalating climate emergencies, displacement, and conflict, these tools could be game-changing.

Yet behind the algorithms lie deeper concerns: who builds these systems? Whose data powers them? And whose voices are excluded from their design and deployment? We must scrutinise not just their technical capacity, but their political and moral implications.

Yes, But, is a debate forum delivered by The Conduit and supported by Google.org that seeks to turn tension into progress. Each session will explore the influence of AI on a pressing global issue through a structured, provocative dialogue that surfaces competing perspectives. Rather than seeking winners, these open-minded discussions embrace friction to sharpen understanding and identify where innovation and investment can drive real impact.

Point/Counter point

In this first debate both sides agreed that artificial intelligence will significantly influence humanitarian work, but they framed its potential impact very differently.

For the proposition, Frederick Cowell argued that because most major models, datasets, and infrastructure are created and controlled in the Global North, the use of AI in humanitarian contexts risks deepening long-standing patterns of dependency. He warned that Western cultural assumptions are built into many systems and that weak privacy protections, uneven regulatory environments, and reliance on foreign technology could undermine the autonomy of local organisations. In his view, these dynamics could reproduce a familiar centre and periphery relationship that resembles earlier forms of colonialism.

In opposition, Lewis Iwu responded that the humanitarian sector already operates within colonial power structures and that AI can help break from this status quo. He pointed to rapid growth in locally developed tools across Africa and Asia, arguing that small models trained on local languages and community knowledge can increase agency rather than erode it. He also stressed that AI can reduce administrative costs, strengthen crisis prediction, support more direct cash assistance, and elevate the role of local responders. In his assessment, these shifts create an opportunity to rebalance power toward affected communities rather than usher in a new era of colonialism.

To hear the nuances of the debate, we invite you to watch a short video summary that captures key arguments and reflections from expert guest panelists at the forefront of AI and global development.

Free resources for nonprofits to leverage AI for tasks such as fundraising, marketing and programme management from Google.org can be found here.