The HLA and Data Friendly Space launch landmark survey on AI in the humanitarian sector

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA) and Data Friendly Space (DFS) are excited to announce the launch of a joint research initiative to explore current practices and future aspirations for the adoption of artificial intelligence across the humanitarian sector.

As AI continues to reshape industries worldwide, its role in humanitarian response remains an emerging and vital area of exploration. This collaborative project aims to deliver one of the first comprehensive snapshots of AI adoption across the sector in 2025, combining HLA’s extensive global learning networks with DFS’s technical expertise in humanitarian data.

Why we’re undertaking this research

Understanding how humanitarian organisations and professionals are currently using AI – along with the challenges they face and their future aspirations – is critical to shaping more effective and ethical AI adoption. This research will also identify key skills gaps and learning needs, helping to shape future training initiatives and support.

Ka Man Parkinson, Communications and Marketing Specialist at the Humanitarian Leadership Academy said:

“We’re excited to collaborate with Data Friendly Space on this joint research into AI usage in the humanitarian sector. By joining forces on this initiative, we can harness the HLA’s global network and Data Friendly Space’s technical expertise in the humanitarian AI space, and share valuable insights with the sector. Whether you’re an early adopter or haven’t used an AI tool yet, we want to hear from you! The full range of experiences will be invaluable for this research.”

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

“Humanitarians are already working in some of the most complex, high-stakes environments in the world and you deserve tools and innovations that are built with your realities in mind. By capturing your experiences, challenges, and hopes around AI, we can help ensure future tools and training actually serve the sector with this being your opportunity to shape the understanding and implementation of AI in humanitarian response. We’re so excited to be partnering with HLA to help bring your voices to the forefront!”

Take part in the survey

Take part in the survey today and help us build a clearer picture of AI’s role in humanitarian response: your voice will be a vital part of what is believed to be one of the first pieces of research in this area.

We invite anyone from the humanitarian space to participate. The survey should take around 10 minutes to complete, depending on how much detail you provide in the open-ended questions. The questions cover current AI use, barriers, ethical considerations, and hopes for the future.

Respondents whose browser is set to one of the following languages will have the option to view an automatically translated version of the survey: Arabic, French, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, and Ukrainian.

Thank you for your engagement. Your insights will help drive innovation and collaboration across the sector, demonstrating how technology can amplify humanitarian impact, even amid funding and resource challenges.

Learn more: tune into our podcast episode

To complement this research, we have released a special podcast episode featuring a conversation between Ka Man Parkinson and Lucy Hall from the HLA together with Madigan Johnson from Data Friendly Space. They discuss why this research is timely, what the survey covers, and how your input can shape the future of AI in humanitarian response. Tune in to the conversation!

Contact

Email us:

Humanitarian Leadership Academy at info@humanitarian.academy

Data Friendly Space at hello@datafriendlyspace.org