UN Researchers Develop AI Avatars to Educate on Refugee Challenges, Spark Debate on Ethical Use

A research institute affiliated with the United Nations has developed two AI-powered avatars aimed at educating people about refugee issues. The United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) created these avatars as part of a class experiment. Named Amina and Abdalla, these avatars represent fictional refugee stories. Amina is a woman who fled Sudan and now resides in a refugee camp in Chad, while Abdalla is a fictional soldier with the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group in Sudan. Users are intended to interact with Amina and Abdalla through the project's website, although some have encountered error messages when attempting to register. Eduardo Albrecht, a senior fellow at UNU-CPR and a professor at Columbia University, clarified to 404 Media that the project was primarily an exploratory exercise rather than a proposed solution for the UN. In a paper summarizing the experiment, the researchers suggested that such avatars could potentially be used to rapidly convey the plight of refugees to potential donors. However, this idea met with mixed reactions during workshops. Some participants expressed reservations, arguing that refugees are fully capable of representing their own experiences and should be given the opportunity to do so in their own voices. The project highlights the ongoing debate about the ethical implications of using AI to simulate personal narratives, particularly those of vulnerable populations. While AI avatars can offer a unique and engaging way to raise awareness and garner support, they also risk overshadowing the authentic voices of the individuals they aim to represent.