How humanitarian organizations are using AI to reach people faster

For aid organizations with strained budgets, AI is making it possible to help more people—but it has to be used carefully. Minutes after catastrophic earthquakes struck Venezuela in June, GiveDirectly got an AI-generated snapshot of the disaster from an internal tool. Then it used other AI tools that analyze satellite imagery to pinpoint the hardest-hit neighborhoods, paired that with poverty data, and posted flyers in person inviting families to apply for aid. Three weeks later, it started sending cash directly to the phones of the people who needed it most.