The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) is a global network of organisations that provide shared communications services during humanitarian emergencies. It is one of the 11 clusters designated by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). The ETC has developed an upgraded chatbot that uses AI to build trust and provide critical information and humanitarian assistance to support members of the public during times of crisis and emergencies. The Ai-Chatbot has been selected for the WFP Humanitarian Accelerator program, supported by WFP Innovation Accelerator and Google for Startups.
The chatbot was first launched in 2021 and is now used as a critical tool for aggregating information from humanitarian partners on protection, shelter, cash, health, education, and employment, while providing up-to-date information on how and where to get help. The chatbot has been upgraded with AI cognitive capabilities to foster trust and respond to human emotions to give more factual and compassionate tailored responses through two-way communication.