“Humanitarian challenges today are global, and so must be the solutions”

“Humanitarian challenges today are global, and so must be the solutions” said Gong Ke, Executive Director of the Chinese Institute of New Generation AI Development Strategies. Part of his opening remarks during a sunny, brisk winter morning in Beijing, Gong Ke spoke to the importance of responsible AI safeguards in humanitarian action, from prioritizing urgent needs to ensuring inclusive datasets. The event was situated a few kilometers away from Tsinghua, one of the leading engineering and technology university in China, and Zhongguancun Science Park, the country’s leading tech and innovation hub.

Co-organised by the ICRC’s Global Cyber Hub in Luxembourg, the ICRC’s Regional Delegation for East Asia in Beijing and the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, the Beijing Symposium drew together more than 80 humanitarian practitioners, policy experts, industry representatives and researchers from almost 20 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America, helping to connect operational concerns with wider discussions on AI governance and safety, cyber risks, and the digital transformation. 

The Beijing Symposium formed an important part of a broader ICRC Symposium series launched in 2018 to create an open, trusted space for cross-sector and interdisciplinary dialogue on technology, cybersecurity, data protection, and humanitarian action. Earlier events in the series were held in London, Luxembourg, Nairobi, Geneva, and Vienna. The Beijing edition deepened engagement with Chinese and Global South perspectives on the responsible use of technology in warfare and in humanitarian action.