70% of humanitarians use AI regularly, but organisational uptake still emerging – HLA and DFS global study of 2,500+ finds

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA) and Data Friendly Space (DFS) today announce the successful conclusion of a comprehensive sector survey examining artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and aspirations across the humanitarian sector, achieving global participation in this first-of-its-kind study.

The survey received 2,539 responses from practitioners in the humanitarian sector and allied fields from across more than 140 countries and territories. This global engagement has created what is believed to be the largest dataset of its kind.

Personal AI use widespread among humanitarians

Initial analysis reveals that while individuals are embracing AI personally, organisations are largely in the planning and early experimentation phases.

70.4% of respondents report using AI tools personally on a daily (45.1%) or weekly (25.3%) basis, with commercial AI agents such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude, being the most popular (69.4%), followed by translation and language tools (35.4%) and AI-powered data analytics tools (17.9%).

Organisational uptake in transition

However, organisational uptake shows a sector in transition (percentages rounded).

• 26% said their organisation has not yet adopted AI but intends to do so
• 25.4% reported their organisation is currently experimenting or piloting AI tools
• 18.3% have limited implementation in some teams
• 11.3% said their organisation has no plans to adopt AI
• Only 7.8% report AI is widely adopted and integrated across their organisation
• 11.3% did not know or preferred not to say

Research team reflections

Ka Man Parkinson, Communications and Marketing Specialist at the HLA said:

“We’re delighted with the strong response to the survey and grateful to everyone who took part, helping us build a rich global snapshot of AI in humanitarian work today. This momentum is helping to spark a much-needed sectoral conversation on the ethical and practical use of AI that is grounded in local realities. We’re looking forward to sharing further insights to support greater understanding and alignment across the sector.”

Lucy Hall, Data and Evidence Specialist at the HLA said:

“Seeing responses come in from around the globe has been eye-opening. It’s clear that humanitarians are already engaging with AI in considered and thoughtful ways. There’s huge potential to shape the future of humanitarian AI based on today’s realities – turning insight into action, and ensuring that solutions are inclusive and locally led.”

Madigan Johnson, Head of Communications at Data Friendly Space, said:

“The survey reveals a critical opportunity to align AI strategic frameworks with the operational realities faced by humanitarian practitioners. This evidence-based approach to understanding on-the-ground experiences will be fundamental as the sector advances toward more thoughtful and effective AI adoption in the humanitarian sector.”

The research team is currently analysing the extensive dataset to extract meaningful insights about current AI adoption patterns, implementation challenges and future priorities within the humanitarian community.

Key insights from the survey will be published in July 2025. This will be followed by a comprehensive report launch online event scheduled for 5 August 2025 at 12:00 UTC, where stakeholders from across the humanitarian sector are invited to explore the complete findings and discuss the implications for the future of humanitarian work.

The survey results are expected to inform strategic decision making, policy development, and resource allocation for AI initiatives across humanitarian organisations worldwide.

Event registration

For more information about the 5 August launch event or to register for attendance, please visit the event registration page.