As the producer of the Humanitarian AI Today podcast, I have an early view on emerging trends in AI usage across the humanitarian community. Based on these insights, three particular trends at the nexus of AI and mission are especially exciting right now.
Open Data Sharing
The humanitarian community has long championed open data sharing through initiatives like IATI, HDX, and ReliefWeb. While data sharing has been inconsistently practiced, we are now witnessing a powerful vindication of it. Because advanced AI applications rely heavily on access to standardized, structured, and credible data sources, AI is creating a compelling incentive for more widespread and rigorous usage of these open data platforms and frameworks.
Architectures and Power
The next two trends involve the fundamental structure and technology powering AI systems. In 2026, we will see AI applications adopting agent architectures that delegate complex tasks across distributed networks. This means one NGO’s specialized agent could seamlessly and securely communicate with another’s agent, handing off tasks and sharing information across operational workflows. The rise of these agents and the nascent “agentic web” will enable organizations to automate many forms of collaboration, fundamentally transforming cross-organizational efficiency.
Likewise, the critical hardware choices organizations make to power their AI applications will translate directly into major gains in speed, efficiency, and capability. Choices in chip and data center technology will dictate the ultimate cost and speed of running real-time operational applications and determine how quickly and affordably AI models can be deployed in the field. These emerging performance capabilities and architectures will define the practicality and scope of our operational AI in 2026 and beyond.