Attention, algorithms and AI: How humanitarian organisations are rethinking communications in 2026

 In the face of profound and rapid change, how are humanitarian organisations rethinking communications in 2026? 

The humanitarian landscape is changing quickly - shaped by AI, funding pressures, and shifting audience expectations, raising critical questions about how organisations communicate, connect, and build trust. 

In this episode, Amanda Hinkel-Mauceri, Director of Marketing and Communications at Humentum, and Gülsüm Özkaya, International Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator at IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation join the HLA's Ka Man Parkinson for a candid conversation on how communicators adapting to these challenges.

Tune in to hear open and honest peer reflections on what’s changing, what’s working, what’s not - and how communications can help shape the sector’s future, including:

• Reframing communications: What funding pressures, rapid technological developments and changing audience expectations mean for communications.
• Communications as research: How communicators are generating original knowledge - from AI adoption to the ethics of AI-generated imagery - and how this is informing and shaping practice.
• AI opportunities and challenges: How AI is reshaping humanitarian communications - and the generational and organisational differences in adoption and readiness.
• The attention challenge: Navigating a fragmented, algorithm-driven media environment with rising content saturation and 'AI slop'.
• The human-in-the-loop: Balancing the tension between speed and responsibility, particularly ethical imagery and content creation. 

For shownotes, speaker bios, episode transcript and links, visit the episode webpage:

https://www.humanitarianleadershipacademy.org/resources/attention-algorithms-and-ai-how-humanitarian-organisations-are-rethinking-communications-in-2026/ 

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The views and opinions expressed in our podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of their organisations.