The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is actively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its humanitarian efforts worldwide, with AI-powered agents supporting staff and directly engaging users in eight countries. David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC, states that this technology can deliver help to those most in need, mirroring its impact in Silicon Valley.

These AI applications are designed to enhance humanitarian response, address funding shortfalls, and extend critical services to displaced and vulnerable people globally. With nearly 240 million people projected to require humanitarian aid in 2026, and global funding significantly reduced, AI offers a way to deliver more protection with fewer resources.

What the records show

The IRC utilizes AI in several key areas. Its Signpost platform, which disseminates verified information, has reached over 20 million people worldwide. Signpost AI-enabled agents have been piloted in eight countries, assisting frontline staff and, in some cases, directly engaging with users to provide critical, localized information. These AI agents are built and safeguarded through an IRC platform developed with partners like Google.org, Zendesk, and Cisco.

In education, the IRC is applying AI-powered solutions to broaden access for displaced children. An education chatbot named AprendIA is currently being piloted in Bangladesh and Nigeria. This tool allows educators to create interactive and personalized teaching content, adaptable to diverse humanitarian contexts, and is designed to be available on low-tech devices to expand its global reach.

For healthcare, the IRC uses AI to aid in disease detection in low-resource settings. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, AI-powered tools assist frontline health workers in diagnosing diseases such as mpox. This involves comparing photographs of lesions against a data set, allowing for diagnoses in five minutes instead of sending blood samples to distant labs.

To support refugee integration and economic opportunity, the IRC launched ALMA (AI for Life Mapping & Assistance). This AI-powered virtual assistant is available on WhatsApp in the United States and guides refugees through processes like employment, public services, and financial literacy.

The IRC also leverages AI for anticipatory action, aiming to facilitate early humanitarian intervention. This includes using satellite imagery, climate models, and AI-driven risk mapping to predict and respond to crises more proactively.

What the subject has said publicly

David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, has publicly advocated for the strategic use of AI in humanitarian contexts. He noted in October 2026 that the same technology generating wealth in Silicon Valley could assist the least fortunate. Miliband has also highlighted that AI agents are essential for bridging the gap between rising crisis volumes and funding constraints, providing critical assistance where human staff cannot keep pace with demand. He emphasized that the risk is not in acting, but in inaction.

What we could not confirm

The specific metrics and outcomes of the rigorous evaluation for efficiency gains, response quality, and unintended effects of the Signpost AI-enabled agents are not detailed in the available records. The total budget allocated for these various AI initiatives across the IRC's global operations is also not specified.