Devex Newswire: How ICRC uses AI in conflict zones

Artificial intelligence has invaded our everyday lives, so how can it help in an actual invasion? We look at how the International Committee of the Red Cross uses AI in conflict zones to improve its mission to help those in danger. Also in today’s edition: IOM-Microsoft partnership announced at COP 28, IDB’s new special adviser on climate, and calls for the World Bank to change policy on nuclear energy. War-zone AI Most people have a love-hate relationship with artificial intelligence. It’s a little bit terrifying and moves so fast it’s hard to understand the basics before it’s advanced and our limited intelligence is put to the test again. But when it comes to war, anything is welcome — as long as it’s on our side. So how can it help? From drones to document digitization to new algorithms to automated monitoring tools, ICRC is exploring a multitude of ways AI might enhance its mission of protecting and assisting those caught in armed conflict. A year ago, ICRC opened a space in Luxembourg for its cyberspace delegation to develop, test, and explore digital technology, including AI. It’s a “sandbox” where “tech geeks” can trial various AI ideas, Philippe Marc Stoll, an ICRC senior “techplomacy” delegate, describes it. “The process is strict because we don’t want … to create new problems or harm for populations if we use it without having tested it in a safe space,” he tells Devex contributing reporter Rebecca Root. ICRC hopes to use AI to help search for landmines, find missing people, and map vulnerable populations in war zones, among other tasks. “There is another one, which is [using AI to] try to understand patterns of violence [by armed forces and armed groups over time.] … It will help us observe changes in behavior, interrogating the reasons for why violence might have surged, dropped, or changed,” Stoll says. Read: An inside look at ICRC's AI exploration (Pro) + Devex Pro members can get the most out of our AI in development coverage. Not a Devex Pro member yet? Start your 15-day free trial. Record partnership The U.N.’s International Organization for Migration and Microsoft revealed a new partnership during COP 28 in Dubai, with plans to leverage Microsoft's data, AI, and technology prowess to create a data hub to be used to predict and better respond to climate-induced human mobility. An idea first cooked up by IOM Director General Amy Pope and Microsoft Philanthropies Corporate Vice President Kate Behncken in January, it may have broken records for two large bureaucracies coming together with a firm agreement in less than a year. Pope admits it would never have come to fruition if she hadn't won her election against former boss Antonio Vittorino. But the looming COP 28 deadline pushed both their organizations to work in overdrive to get the i’s dotted and t’s crossed in time to announce in Dubai, perhaps demonstrating to skeptics one utility of such convenings. The partnership was announced during a fireside chat with Pope and Behncken moderated by Devex Executive Vice President Kate Warren. Behncken praised Pope's aptitude for collaborating with the private sector, a skill she noted as uncommon within the U.N. system. Pope said she hopes this partnership can serve as a model to others and will play a role in reframing migration as not just a problem to solve but also an opportunity if harnessed. Barbados punches up Barbados, home of the Bridgetown Agenda to reform the international financial system, continues to punch above its weight in the climate arena. An architect of that influential reform agenda, economist Avinash Persaud, who serves as climate envoy to Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, has been appointed special adviser on climate change for the Inter-American Development Bank. He’ll take up his position on Jan. 16. Loyal Devex readers may know that we’ve frequently featured Persaud in our coverage, including his take on the loss and damage fund, his rejection of climate reparations, and his push for grants over loans. Tidbits from COP Kate has done her best to pick up some tidbits while avoiding the heat in Dubai. • Apparently next year’s COP 29 will be in Bonn — so say those party to the discussions. They couldn’t reach a consensus on any Eastern European country — Dubai doesn’t want to host again, and neither does Germany. However, due to UNFCCC regulations, Germany may be required to. An announcement is expected before or shortly after COP 28 ends. • The following year, COP 30 delegates will head to the Brazilian city of Belém, where the 2025 conference will be held. There are only three hotels in the city known for being “a gateway to the Amazon,” not nearly enough to house the thousands of visitors expected — Brazil alone sent 3,000 people to COP 28 this year. So organizers plan to house people on cruise ships. There is nothing more miserable than being in a windowless cabin. • Back to Dubai, where the lush bushes surrounding the current conference appear to be thriving despite the desert heat … because they are made of plastic. Yup, “COP 28 is literally surrounded by oil,” mused one attendee when he made the discovery after trying to pluck a leaf. At least it saves on water? + Tomorrow, join us for the online broadcast of Climate +, Devex’s summit on the sidelines of COP 28. Save your spot. The nuclear option Will the World Bank reverse its policy on investing in nuclear energy? The lender has said it won’t finance nuclear power generation or technical assistance because it’s not part of its expertise. It has also made clear it won’t build internal capacity in the sector. But a declaration signed at COP 28 by a group of 22 countries — including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ghana, and Japan — committed those nations to triple nuclear energy as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, writes Devex Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger. It also “encourages shareholders of the World Bank, international financial institutions, and regional development banks to include nuclear energy in their lending policies.” This is the first open call for a change to the policy from some of the bank’s leading shareholders, global think tank Energy for Growth's Todd Moss, who has long tracked these issues and advocated for more multilateral development bank support for nuclear power, wrote in his blog Eat More Electrons. An analysis by the Energy for Growth hub found that some 100 countries — more than 80% of World Bank voting power — have a “direct demonstrable interest in nuclear power,” while only eight are actively opposed, including Germany, Portugal, Italy, and Australia. Questionable transparency British International Investment is the world’s “best” development finance institution, according to the U.K. government — which makes its transparency record something of an embarrassment. BII was ranked a lowly 12th out of 21 in a first index measuring where DFIs are putting their billions of taxpayers’ money, what those investments are achieving, and how accountable they are to local people, writes Devex U.K. Correspondent Rob Merrick. Now a “road map” will be published by the end of 2023 to meet the pledge, in the U.K.’s new development strategy, to make BII “one of the most transparent” DFIs in the world, Parliament’s International Development Committee was told. Transparency will be crucial because BII has been told to make “over half of its investments in the poorest and most fragile countries by 2030.” The current share is just 37%. But Nick Dyer, the U.K.’s top civil servant for development, was less than transparent when it came to what difference this transparency road map would make, when he gave evidence to members of Parliament. Dyer suggested the “governance” of BII will not change — after calls for it to be put under tighter government control, rather than simply attend quarterly meetings, were rejected — and admitted the plan hasn’t crossed his desk. “I don’t know all the details,” he replied when asked what the road map will require, and on whether he is involved, he said, “I haven’t been to date, but I will ensure that I am.” Related: BII, the UK finance arm, lacks ‘poverty focus’ and climate plan, inquiry finds In other news A new UNICEF report has revealed that 69 million children live in poverty in the 40 highest-income countries, singling out Britain and France for their notably poor standings. [The Japan Times] USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced over $21 million in additional aid for Palestinians affected by the Israel-Hamas war. [The Hill] Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has urged for gender apartheid to be classified as a crime against humanity. 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