Peacebuilding and AI in focus at UNSSC webinar series
The UNSSC says peacebuilding efforts may be strengthened by AI tools, but not at the expense of diplomacy and human judgment.
The United Nations System Staff College has highlighted growing interest across the UN and the wider peacebuilding community in how artificial intelligence is shaping conflict prevention, arguing that the technology can support peace efforts but cannot replace human judgement, diplomacy, and oversight.
The reflection draws on a three-part webinar series launched by UNSSC to examine AI governance, field use, and ethical risks in peacebuilding. According to the text, one message ran across all three discussions: AI may offer real value for conflict prevention, but its role should remain supportive rather than substitutive.
The piece argues that AI is already being used across the UN peace and security pillar and should be introduced only where it improves effectiveness, such as by handling repetitive tasks and allowing staff to focus on analysis, leadership, and political judgement. It also stresses that principles long associated with peacebuilding, including trust and ‘do no harm’, should apply across the full AI stack, from data and infrastructure to model design and deployment.
Examples cited from the webinar series include the use of augmented intelligence in early warning systems, where machine learning is combined with human contextual knowledge, and an AI-enabled WhatsApp chatbot used in Yemen to broaden participation in mediation, particularly among women and young people. The text presents these cases as evidence that AI can extend the reach of peacebuilding tools without replacing practitioners.
The final part of the reflection focuses on governance and ethics. It argues that while ethical AI principles are widely discussed, they need to be translated into practical, context-specific safeguards, especially in conflict settings. It also notes that risks differ across use cases such as early warning, social media monitoring, and mediation support, and says meaningful governance requires input from diplomats, researchers, mediators, and the private sector.
UNSSC says the webinar series drew between 300 and 500 registrants per session, which it presents as evidence of strong demand for more targeted learning on AI and peacebuilding. The college argues that its role should extend beyond convening discussion to turning those debates into practical knowledge for UN practitioners working at the intersection of AI and conflict prevention.
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