New York, NY, July 7, 2026 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) will press tech companies and philanthropists to fund AI tools that connect refugees to health care, education and trusted information, as its delegation joins this week’s UN AI for Good Global Summit. The call comes as the world faces historically high levels of displacement and humanitarian need.
An IRC delegation will attend the United Nations' AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva this week, advocating for greater investment in responsible AI solutions that improve outcomes for refugees and vulnerable communities around the world.
"The true test of the technology revolution is whether it delivers for the most vulnerable,” said Rachael Stewart, Chief Information Officer “AI has extraordinary potential to help close the distance between people in crisis and the opportunities they need to survive and rebuild their lives. But realizing that potential takes partnership, investment and commitment on a global scale.”
The call comes just weeks after World Refugee Day and the release of new global displacement figures showing that nearly 118 million people worldwide remain forcibly displaced. While displacement levels saw their first decline in a decade, the reduction was driven largely by fragile returns rather than durable solutions, underscoring the continued need for innovation that can help humanitarian organizations reach more people, more effectively.
The IRC is at the forefront of exploring how responsible artificial intelligence can strengthen humanitarian response. Through the IRC including its research and innovation team, Airbel, the organization is deploying and testing AI-powered tools across some of the world's most challenging contexts, helping expand access to trusted information, education, health services, disaster preparedness and economic opportunity
Today, the IRC operates nearly a dozen AI-enabled initiatives globally and is working toward a vision of responsible, open and scalable AI systems that can help transform humanitarian response. Among the IRC's flagship initiatives:
- Expanding access to trusted information for displaced communities: The IRC's Signpost platform provides verified, life-saving information to displaced people across nearly 30 countries and in more than 25 languages, reaching more than 20 million users. New AI-powered capabilities are enabling Signpost to support human moderators with trauma-informed responses across text and voice channels, dramatically reducing response times while expanding access to underserved languages and communities.
- Bringing personalized learning to children and teachers affected by crisis: The IRC is deploying AI-powered education tools that help learners and teachers access personalized support through platforms they already use. Initiatives such as aprendIA, an AI teacher assistant operating through WhatsApp, and other digital learning programs are helping children and educators continue learning despite conflict, displacement and school disruption.
- Strengthening health care and disease detection: The IRC is developing AI-powered tools to support frontline health workers, including technologies that help diagnose diseases such as mpox in low-resource settings and digital platforms that connect people to mental health support and health information. The organization is also exploring how AI can improve vaccine delivery and reach underserved communities through advanced mapping and route optimization.
- Acting before disasters strike: Through its "Follow the Forecasts" approach, the IRC combines climate forecasting, vulnerability analysis and AI-enabled systems to anticipate crises before they occur. The model has already helped thousands of households prepare for climate shocks and access assistance before disasters hit.
- Supporting refugee integration and economic opportunity: In the United States, the IRC is developing AI-powered virtual assistants that help refugees navigate employment, public services, financial literacy and resettlement processes, expanding access to critical information while enabling staff to focus on complex, high-touch support.
- Protecting people at risk of trafficking: The IRC has also partnered with technology leaders to launch AI-powered tools that help frontline responders identify and respond to human trafficking while connecting survivors to information, services and economic opportunities.
At every stage, the IRC's approach is guided by a rigorous commitment to responsible innovation. The organization maintains strict safeguards around privacy, human oversight and data protection, ensuring that AI strengthens humanitarian work while upholding the dignity, safety and rights of the people it serves.
"The humanitarian sector stands at a crossroads," Stewart added. "We have an opportunity to harness one of the most transformative technologies of our generation in service of people facing the greatest challenges. We are inviting partners across the technology sector, philanthropy and business to work with us to ensure that AI helps close the distance between crisis and opportunity, and between innovation and those who have historically been left furthest behind."
As governments, businesses and civil society leaders gather in Geneva, the IRC is calling for greater collaboration to ensure that the next wave of technological progress contributes to a more equitable future—one in which refugees and crisis-affected communities are not excluded from innovation, but benefit from it.