How-to note: Co-designing AI solutions with crisis-affected communities (beta)
This is a beta version of this how-to note. Given the emerging and innovative nature of AI in humanitarian aid, we are asking people to test the SAFE AI products and give us feedback ahead of the final development of the SAFE AI framework. Please provide feedback via this form, or email info@cdacnetwork.org before 31 August 2025.
Without meaningful participation from crisis-affected communities, humanitarian AI risks becoming experimental and extractive, worsening inequalities rather than addressing them.
This How-to note from the SAFE AI Project provides practical guidance for humanitarian actors seeking to genuinely co-design AI solutions with crisis-affected communities, moving beyond consultation to meaningful collaboration.
Drawing on emerging research and real-world experience, it offers concrete steps for implementing participatory approaches throughout the AI development lifecycle—from initial design to deployment and governance. The guidance addresses critical challenges including power imbalances, resource constraints, and the need to center community priorities and lived experiences.
The SAFE AI framework enables humanitarian organisations to develop more equitable, effective and responsive AI solutions while building trust and shifting power dynamics toward crisis-affected communities. Essential for practitioners committed to ethical AI innovation and community participation.
This material has been funded by UK International Development from the UK government.