404 Media covered an interesting project carried out by a group at the United Nations University Center for Policy Research. This initiative led to the creation of two AI avatars – Amina, a fictional Sudanese woman seeking refuge in Chad, and Abdalla, a fictional soldier from the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.
Visitors are encouraged to engage with Amina and Abdalla on the project’s website, although there were technical difficulties during my attempt to register over the weekend.
Eduardo Albrecht, a Columbia professor and senior fellow at UNU-CPR, mentioned to 404 Media that the project was more of an experimental exploration rather than a formal proposal to the UN.
A report detailing this project suggested that these AI avatars could potentially be used to swiftly appeal to donors. Nevertheless, feedback from some workshop participants indicated a negative response, with some expressing that refugees are fully capable of advocating for themselves in real life.
