Digital technology and migration

Create your own app!

Digital technology and AI systems are used to facilitate access to services and the integration of migrants and refugees throughout the migration cycle. For example, chatbots can now provide legal advice and psychological support to migrants and refugees, AI-powered applications can assist with refugee settlement placements, and digital applications can be used to support migrant integration in the host country. Chatbots have also been developed by migrants as a result of their own experiences in navigating vast amount of (mis)information on visa regulations and processes.

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Instructions

Divide the class into 4 groups. Each group will be assigned one stage of the migration cycle: pre-departure, entry, stay, return and tasked to put themselves in a migrants’ position and create an app that would help migrants navigate each part of the migration cycle.

Instructions

Read the section ‘AI supporting migration management’ in chapter 11 of the 2022 World Migration Report for additional information and the article titled ‘The appification of migration’ by Marie McAuliffe.

Part 1: Research

Explain the stage of the migration cycle assigned to your group Describe your application and how it could be of assistance to migrants Reflect on some of the limitations to your application and how you might address this i.e., privacy concerns (hint: read the section ‘AI technologies in migration and mobility: key issues, challenges and opportunities’ in chapter 11 of the 2022 World Migration Report).

Part 2: Presentation

With your group, present on your findings.

Part 3: Take home reflection exercise

View the readings on the page, choose one domain, and reflect on how these changes might impact migrants and migration.

People working as a team

Agriculture

AI is largely present in the farming and agriculture industry, especially with the increase in the use of intelligent tractors and plucking machines during harvest days. In addition, the agricultural sector relies on harvesting robots handling essential agricultural tasks such as planting seeds and monitoring crop and soil health. Flying and floating drones with AI capabilities are also being used to detect the quality of soil and water in order to improve the quality and quantity of crop yield. Business and finance: AI applications and usage have become essential for companies to save costs while improving outreach and quality of services. Computer algorithms and data-mining interfaces are allowing companies to improve the quality of their services by ensuring these better match customers’ expectations and needs. For instance, Netflix and Amazon recommendation lists provide a more personalized experience by capturing their engagement patterns through data mining. Human agents are also being replaced by intelligent software robots such as chatbots that can provide customers with instant answers to their queries, while reducing the cost of hiring human assistants.

Education

AI applications in education include adaptive learning technology, which tailors content to students based on their abilities. AI is also used for plagiarism checking (e.g. Turnitin) and automated grading, as well as autocorrect and grammar checking (e.g. Grammarly).

Environment

AI has been integrated in ecological policy plans and has played a vital role in search and rescue missions in the responses to natural and human-made disasters. Examples include robots with AI capabilities that can sort recyclable material from waste, as well as using AI on satellite data to map and predict the progression of wildfires and find missing persons.

Governance and security

Governments are using AI to improve security apparatuses. AI systems and autonomous flying machines such as drones are being used for surveillance to help automate the detection of, and response to, threats and patterns of criminal behaviour.

Science and health care

Investment in the field of AI in science and health care has witnessed a significant uptake, especially after the emergence of COVID-19. Using AI in science has proved to be indispensable, as it allows for cheaper experimentation, enables faster scientific discoveries and improves the effectiveness and efficiency of the health-care system. AI technologies are now able to monitor patients’ health, provide automated diagnostic support systems in hospitals and complement the work of physicians in the operation room. They are also being widely used in scientific research and experimentation, especially in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) segmentation and statistics.

Transportation

The transportation industry is one of the sectors benefiting most from the surge of AI, through research and investment in autonomous vehicles with virtual driver systems by car companies such as Tesla. The sector has also been leveraging AI algorithms to optimize public transport for scheduling, routing and traffic light management.