This summer, a team from the Humanitarian Collaborative’s Summer Cohort—comprising Alumni Practitioner Fellows Madison Cohen, Baillie McNitt, and Anna Grace Calhoun, as well as students Chiara Purificato (MPP), Lacey Wortzel (BA), and Amelia Johnson(BA)—has been supporting the Global Emergency Group with the design and launch of a technology lab within a  new Humanitarian Learning Center. The Center aims to strengthen the humanitarian system through practical training, wellness support, cross-sector dialogue, collaborative research, and historical archiving.

The team has focused on emerging technologies with the potential to improve crisis response, including AI, drones, open mapping, and supply chain optimization. Through stakeholder mapping and a comprehensive research presentation, they explored the opportunities and limitations of AI in humanitarian contexts from predictive analytics to logistical coordination while highlighting risks around data inequality, availability, and ethics. These stakeholder maps produced by the team visualize the ecosystems of individuals and organizations developing, promoting, funding, and utilizing cutting-edge technology in humanitarian and adjacent contexts.

To deepen their understanding, the team interviewed Aaron Martin, Assistant Professor of Data Science at UVA, and Maria Haas, Data Protection Officer at the International Committee of the Red Cross, discussing the challenges around digital sovereignty, data governance, and the growing influence of private tech actors. The interviews highlighted gaps in ethical frameworks and accountability mechanisms needed to protect vulnerable populations. Their work will inform the technology lab’s business model and terms of reference, shaping how innovation can be ethically and effectively integrated into humanitarian action.