Rise of AI-Generated Humanitarian Imagery
Artificial intelligence-generated images depicting extreme poverty, vulnerable children, and survivors of sexual violence are increasingly appearing in humanitarian communications, according to global health professionals. Sources indicate this trend represents a new era of digital “poverty porn” that raises significant ethical concerns about representation and consent in the aid sector.
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Widespread Adoption by Organizations
“All over the place, people are using it,” said Noah Arnold of Fairpicture, a Swiss organization promoting ethical imagery in global health development. Analysts suggest some organizations are actively deploying AI imagery while others are at least experimenting with the technology.
Arsenii Alenichev, a researcher at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp studying global health image production, told reporters these images replicate what he describes as “the visual grammar of poverty.” The report states he has collected more than 100 AI-generated images of extreme poverty used by individuals or NGOs in social media campaigns against hunger or sexual violence.
Problematic Stereotypes and Racial Bias
Images shared with media outlets show exaggerated, stereotype-perpetuating scenes including children huddled in muddy water and an African girl in a wedding dress with a tear staining her cheek. In a comment piece published in the Lancet Global Health, Alenichev argues these images amount to “poverty porn 2.0.”
“They are so racialized,” Alenichev stated. “They should never even let those be published because it’s like the worst stereotypes about Africa, or India, or you name it.”
Economic Drivers and Consent Concerns
While quantifying the prevalence of AI-generated images remains challenging, sources indicate their use is rising, driven by budget constraints and consent considerations. Arnold reportedly linked the trend to US funding cuts to NGO budgets, while Alenichev noted organizations are considering synthetic images “because it’s cheap and you don’t need to bother with consent.”
AI-generated poverty images now appear in significant numbers on popular stock photography platforms including Adobe Stock Photos and Freepik, with many bearing captions describing impoverished scenarios. Adobe reportedly sells licenses to such images for approximately £60 each.
Platform Responses and Limitations
Joaquín Abela, CEO of Freepik, stated the responsibility for using extreme images lies with media consumers rather than platforms. He explained that AI stock photos are generated by the platform’s global user community, who can receive licensing fees when customers purchase their images.
Abela noted Freepik has attempted to curb biases found in other parts of its photo library by “injecting diversity” and ensuring gender balance in images of professionals. However, he acknowledged limitations: “It’s like trying to dry the ocean. We make an effort, but in reality, if customers worldwide want images a certain way, there is absolutely nothing that anyone can do.”
High-Profile Cases and Organizational Responses
Major organizations have previously incorporated AI-generated imagery into their communications. In 2023, the Dutch arm of UK charity Plan International released a video campaign against child marriage containing AI-generated images, while the UN posted a YouTube video with AI-generated “re-enactments” of sexual violence in conflict.
The UN video, which included AI-generated testimony from a Burundian woman describing rape during the country’s civil war, was removed after media inquiries. A UN Peacekeeping spokesperson stated the video “has been taken down, as we believed it shows improper use of AI, and may pose risks regarding information integrity.”
A spokesperson for Plan International said the NGO had, as of this year, “adopted guidance advising against using AI to depict individual children,” noting the 2023 campaign used AI-generated imagery to safeguard “the privacy and dignity of real girls.”
Broader Implications and Ethical Concerns
Arnold connected the rising use of AI images to years of sector debate around ethical imagery and dignified storytelling about poverty. “Supposedly, it’s easier to take ready-made AI visuals that come without consent, because it’s not real people,” he noted.
Kate Kardol, an NGO communications consultant, said the images frightened her and recalled earlier debates about “poverty porn” in the sector. “It saddens me that the fight for more ethical representation of people experiencing poverty now extends to the unreal,” she stated.
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Experts warn that generative AI tools often replicate and exaggerate societal biases, and the proliferation of biased images in global health communications may worsen the problem. Alenichev suggested these images could filter into the wider internet and train future AI models, potentially amplifying prejudice through what researchers call AI academic detection systems and other technological developments.
The situation highlights ongoing challenges in humanitarian communication and raises questions about how organizations balance effectiveness with ethical representation amid industry developments in synthetic media creation.
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