Tech & InnovationIt’s the stuff of science fiction: machines that make decisions about who and when to kill. Referred to as “autonomous weapons”, they’re already in use to some degree. But as more sophisticated systems are being developed we wanted to an expert in the field about whether such systems comply with international humanitarian law and what it means for humanity to give machines the power over human life and death.
Digital information technology holds tremendous potential for easing human suffering. But it also poses many risks. In countries impacted by conflict, for example, those risks can be a matter of life and death. Humanitarian ‘tech-plomat’ Philippe Stoll decodes plusses and minuses of the humanitarian tech revolution.
In places where conflict or crisis means basic services are scarce, the use of data is saving lives. But protecting people’s physical well-being, experts say, is also about protecting their digital profile in cyberspace.
As humanitarian groups have rushed to embrace new technologies, biometric data such as eye, finger and palm scans have become a common method for humanitarian organizations to track aid during emergencies. But is the humanitarian sector fully ready to protect this most personal form of data?
Data can save lives and humanitarian organizations are mobilizing to improve the way they collect and use it. But are they ready to handle the largely unregulated, ‘wild west’ of the global data market?
Teams of online volunteers support aid workers and communities facing the Covid-19 pandemic and other tough humanitarian problems.
Given the climate predictions for many areas effected by long-term conflict, is it time to think differently about the way cities are rebuilt or assisted during warfare?
Even in the digital age, people going through crisis can still fall through the cracks
Getting ahead of future trends is not always just about predicting particular events or outcomes.
How a digital mapping project in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania helps local communities take on urban risk, street by street.
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