The UN refugee agency UNHCR says AI-powered misinformation is contributing to real-world harm targeting refugees and humanitarian workers. Gisella Lomax, UNHCR’s senior advisor on information integrity, states that the spread of misinformation, hate speech and deepfakes is worsening the situation and inciting harmful actions in the real world. The warning links these information threats to the growing role of artificial intelligence in generating and amplifying deceptive content.
Both sources describe the same core concern: that AI tools can accelerate the dissemination of false narratives and inflammatory material, which can increase hostility toward displaced people and those providing assistance. Lomax frames the issue as not only a problem of online content, but one with direct consequences for safety and humanitarian operations.
The reports do not specify particular incidents or countries in the provided excerpts, but they present UNHCR’s assessment that misinformation, hate speech and deepfakes are intensifying risks for refugees and humanitarians.
