Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming humanitarian aid and resettlement services. In this blog post, two experts in the field—Kimberly Mays, a Senior Program Officer for Digital Communications at Switchboard, and Kristy Crabtree, who works in digital innovation within the International Rescue Committee (IRC)’s Violence Prevention and Response Unit—shed light on AI’s potential in resettlement work, the challenges it presents, the range of considerations that must be carefully evaluated, and how someone new to AI can begin integrating it into their work. This is not a comprehensive overview of AI in resettlement, but instead a starting point for service providers interested in learning more about this rapidly developing technology.
AI platforms offer several opportunities to enhance resettlement service delivery and improve program efficiency. Kimberly Mays, Senior Program Officer for Digital Communications at Switchboard, was first drawn to AI due to her love for problem-solving.
“I’ve always been a very curious person. I love solving puzzles, and AI solves a lot of puzzles for a lot of people, especially in the ways that we work,” Mays said. “We can work smarter and more effectively with these tools.”
These opportunities include data-driven decision-making, where AI algorithms can match needs with resources more effectively; automation of repetitive tasks, such as data entry and streamlining information flow between systems; and personalized learning, where AI-powered chatbots can provide timely, relevant information to users.
Kristy Crabtree, who works in digital innovation within IRC’s Violence Prevention and Response Unit, argues that these applications are clear value-adds to existing programs.
“[AI can] reduce the burden of work on staff, make more informed decisions, or really streamline information,” Crabtree said.
Challenges and Misconceptions
Despite its potential, integrating AI into resettlement services comes with challenges. The rapid pace of AI development makes it difficult for organizations to keep up with the latest trends and tools. Other concerns include job replacement fears and privacy issues, particularly among staff who may not be as technologically inclined. Using AI in humanitarian work does require careful and thoughtful consideration, including a plan for ensuring data privacy, protecting against bias and/or incorrect information, and addressing the digital divide to ensure vulnerable populations are included digitally. It’s important to handle these issues carefully so that AI can truly help vulnerable populations in an ethical and effective way.
Mays views the fear that AI will completely replace human workers as a misconception.
“The way we work is going to change,” Mays said. “But this is not a panacea.”
According to Mays, it’s important to understand that AI implementation will be a gradual process with a learning curve, not an overnight transformation. Users need to apply AI in areas where there are complex gaps or opportunities which the tool can uniquely address. It’s also crucial to have in place good governance, clear accountability for those affected, and proper training for staff to use AI safely and effectively.
Practical Applications in Resettlement Services
There are already several areas where AI can be beneficially applied in resettlement services:
- Knowledge Management: By creating a “closed domain chatbot” to quickly retrieve information from an organization’s documentation, AI can make it easier for staff and partners to access the information they need. By focusing on a specific subset of data, such as case files for a resettlement office, the chatbot can provide accurate and helpful information for that location, making it easier for users to navigate that closed system.
- Personalized Learning: AI can be deployed to create tailored learning environments for topics like cultural orientation or job market preparation, adjusting the difficulty and pace to match the learner’s progress.
- Administrative Tasks: AI applications can help with administrative work, such as summarizing notes and meetings, to free up staff bandwidth for direct client service.
- Community Engagement and Integration: AI-driven tools can help newcomers understand and adapt to new cultural contexts by providing information and resources relevant to their new environment.
Getting Started with AI in Resettlement Work
For those interested in exploring AI for resettlement work, start small and focus on using it for help with administrative tasks. Mays suggests beginning with low-risk applications, such as using AI to generate Excel formulas or assist with content creation, always ensuring human verification of AI outputs.
Crabtree emphasizes the importance of focusing on the problems AI can naturally solve, rather than just deploying the technology for its own sake.
“We really need to think about what programs need to improve access, quality, outcomes, or impact, and determine if AI is one of many possible solutions,” she said.
Some AI tools that our experts find useful in their daily work include:
- Semrush for in-depth details on the latest AI tools
- DeepL for translations
- Copilot 365 for work within Microsoft Office
- Beyond for no-code animation
- Gemini (formerly known as Bard) for image captions
- Google Lens for image-based searches
- Canva for AI-assisted design and content creation
Ensuring Accessibility and Inclusivity
Organizations in the resettlement sector are taking measured approaches to integrate AI technologies responsibly. These strategies often involve a careful vetting process for AI tools, typically conducted through various committees before any organization-wide rollout. Alongside tool evaluation, there is a strong focus on building knowledge and capacity among staff to promote effective and ethical use.
Another way to approach AI is as a tool, such as a chatbot, that can help resettlement clients directly. A key consideration in that type of AI integration is addressing the digital divide that exists among different populations. Some organizations, like the IRC, have set up targeted programming to bridge this gap.
“We’ve developed a digital literacy curriculum that’s specifically designed for women and girls who—alongside rural communities, the elderly, and people with disabilities—are experiencing a gap in access to internet-enabled devices,” Crabtree said.
This dual approach—integrating AI while simultaneously addressing digital inequalities— aims to ensure that, as AI technologies are adopted, efforts are made to include those who might otherwise be left behind.
Ethical Considerations and Responsible Development
The responsible development and ethical use of AI technologies in resettlement work is of critical importance. Key considerations include understanding how large language models (LLMs) function and recognizing potential biases in the data used to train these models. An LLM is an AI assistant that can understand and generate human-like text. It’s been trained on a massive amount of text data from books, websites, and other sources. This awareness is crucial for deploying AI systems in resettlement work fairly, effectively, and in alignment with ethical principles.
Mays suggests that human intervention and care is necessary to mitigate bias and check that a given AI tool’s output is useful and appropriate. It is also important to consider mechanisms for collecting informed consent, confidentiality, accountability, and equity when handling people’s personal identifying information (PII), while also assessing and mitigating risks to protect individuals’ privacy and dignity.
“There needs to be that human element of review,” Mays said.
Crabtree advocates taking an equity-focused approach to AI development, which involves asking key questions about who developed the AI, who gains from it, and who it will benefit.
“[We should be] looking at ways to leverage this technology for outcomes that are focused on equality, where we’re really centering inclusion, and looking proactively at ways to correct injustices and inequities,” Crabtree said.
Resources for AI Training in Resettlement
While resettlement-specific AI work is still relatively new, several learning opportunities already exist both in the resettlement field and in the broader nonprofit space. These include:
- Sign Post: This AI tool for humanitarian organizations is context-specific and designed to meet users where they are, on the digital channels they already use, in the languages they speak. Vital Information in times of crisis must be hyper-localized to reflect the lived realities and needs of clients.
- AI for Impact Report: This report by Upwardly Global explores how AI can be used to eliminate employment barriers for immigrants, refugees, and asylees, helping them navigate to skill-aligned jobs more efficiently.
- Refugees.AI: This platform uses machine learning, integer optimization, and matching theory to find the best matches between refugees and local communities, aiming to improve resettlement outcomes.
For AI instruction for general nonprofit use, you can also explore these options:
- A Nonprofit Professional’s Guide to Incorporating AI: This eBook by Kindsight offers guidance on how nonprofits can leverage AI tools to enhance their operations and achieve more with limited resources.
- AI for Nonprofits: 5 Free Courses: LinkedIn Learning provides five free courses specifically designed to help nonprofit professionals explore the possibilities of AI in their sector.
- Nonprofit AI: Getting Started: The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance offers an essential guide answering 27 common questions from nonprofit leaders about implementing AI in their organizations.
- AI for Nonprofits: What You Need to Know: TechSoup’s YouTube video provides an overview of AI applications in the nonprofit sector, offering free insights to organizations looking to adopt AI technologies.
Note: Switchboard does not endorse any individual product, platform, or for-profit corporation above; this is only an overview of some of the most notable programs.
Additional Resources for Digital Inclusion
For more information on how to use technology inclusively in the resettlement space, here is a list of resources produced by Switchboard’s Digital Inclusion team:
- Podcast: The Role of Tech in Resettlement: Discussing Artificial Intelligence
- Blog: Overcoming Challenges in Digital Inclusion
- Video Series: Supporting Afghan Newcomers’ Mental Health through Digital Inclusion
- Toolkit: Getting Started with Virtual Reality: Guide for Introducing VR Technology in Refugee Resettlement Service Provision
