AIxMultilateralism: Can AI Predict A Crisis? with Dr. Martin Waehlisch

This is AI x Multilateralism, a playlist of conversations at the Commons, our space at the UN Library & Archives Geneva for sharing knowledge on multilateralism. In this series, we’re joined by experts who help us unpack the many ideas and issues at the nexus of AI and international cooperation.

In this episode we ask: can AI help us better predict, respond to, and recover from crises? We’re joined by Dr. Martin Waehlisch, Associate Professor of Transformative Technologies, Innovation and Global Affairs at the University of Birmingham. He’s also part of the Research Team of the Crisis Computing Project, a global community of scholars and practitioners who are driven to put computation to better use. He shares:

• what drives his teaching today on transformative technologies, and why he prefers the term “computational global affairs” to “international affairs” in today’s world
• what exactly crisis computing means, and the kinds of crises he hopes that AI can help us to address, from complex climate prediction to public participation in decision-making
• the potential of crisis computing at the local, regional and multilateral level, and his thoughts on how crisis computing can be addressed as part of the UN’s Global Dialogue on AI and the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, both established by the UN General Assembly in 2025, and
• what is still missing in the global debate when it comes to how we use AI individually and collectively.

Resources mentioned:

• The Crisis Computing Project: https://crisiscomputing.org/

• The Peace and Security Data Hub : https://psdata.un.org/

• The Complex Risk Analytics Fund (CRAF’d): https://crafd.io/ and the Humanitarian Data Exchange: https://data.humdata.org/

Production:

Guest: Dr. Martin Waehlisch Host, production and editing: Natalie Alexander Julien

Podcast Music credits: Sequence: https://uppbeat.io/track/img/sequence Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/img/sequence License code: 6ZFT9GJWASPTQZL0 Recorded & produced at the Commons, United Nations Library & Archives Geneva #AI #Multilateralism #CrisisComputing #CrisisResponse