UN Warns: AI-Driven Misinformation Fueling Attacks on Refugees
The United Nations has warned that misinformation and hate speech, amplified by artificial intelligence, are inciting real-world harm against refugees and humanitarian workers. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, issued the alert on Tuesday during the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, where it called on technology companies to help counter the trend.
UNHCR stressed that major displacement crises are often accompanied by "information crises." The agency's senior advisor on information integrity, Gisella Lomax, told reporters that the spread of misinformation, hate speech, and deepfakes is exacerbating dangers for refugees and those who assist them.
According to UNHCR, false and hostile narratives have led to increased risks for operations and staff. Lomax noted that in conflict and emergency settings, these information risks are particularly acute and can quickly lead to physical harm. She emphasized that trusted information is essential for refugee protection.
Lomax called on tech companies, AI developers, and digital platforms to partner with humanitarian organizations to systematize and scale up efforts to combat misinformation. She pointed out that distorted information can reduce refugees' access to jobs and education, hinder integration, and threaten social cohesion.
Examples of harm include online rumors and scapegoating that have triggered protests and attacks. In extreme cases, such speech has been linked to physical violence, killings, and even forced displacement. Lomax warned that generative AI compounds these effects at scale, with deepfake videos of UNHCR staff and refugees posing a growing challenge.
She stressed that this is not about legitimate debate on migration and asylum but about life-threatening information risks. For instance, smugglers and traffickers exploit digital platforms to deceive people with false promises, leading them into dangerous situations.
UNHCR is urging that content moderation tools work effectively in humanitarian contexts and in less-common languages. The agency reported that at the end of 2025, there were 117.8 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, including 35.6 million refugees. Two-thirds of those refugees originate from five countries: Venezuela, Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Sudan.
