This week, the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) announced an immensely exciting new initiative. There, they launched the world’s first AI-powered avatars for raising public awareness on refugee issues—Amina and Abdalla. A team led by Columbia University professor Eduardo Albrecht and his students has brought these avatars to life. Their ultimate aim is to encourage greater compassion for the issues being faced by refugees around the world.
These tools, together with our avatars Amina and Abdalla, provide a dynamic experience for users looking to dive deeper into urgent humanitarian issues. Users of the UNU-CPR website have the opportunity to engage with avatars. This enables them to develop deeper understandings of the realities faced by refugees and the complexities of what surrounds their situation. The website, which can be accessed at https://askamina.ai/, serves as a platform for users to learn directly from the AI creations.
In describing the evolution of Amina and Abdalla, Eduardo Albrecht called it “a way of just toying with the idea. This fun and creative approach has led to an amazing educational resource that aims to educate a much broader audience. 12 July 2025, 3 PM PDT—Let’s celebrate the independence of these avatars! It was one of the most important advances in using technology for advocacy at that moment in time.
Faraday’s avatars aren’t just digital stand-ins, they’re vehicles of one-on-one experiences and stories that mirror today’s refugee realities. Workshop attendees noted that Amina and Abdalla “are very capable of speaking for themselves in real life,” highlighting the potential impact of these AI figures in fostering meaningful conversations.
An artistic depiction of Amina is found online, allowing users to form a visual relationship with the avatar. The photograph is available for reuse here, with credit to UNU-CPR/404 Media.
Though highly innovative in scope, upon first interaction with the site, its impressive vision brought with it a few technical obstacles. On a recent Saturday afternoon, users encountered an error message when attempting to register on the site, indicating that further improvements may be necessary to ensure smooth access.
The avatars also serve a more immediate function of quickly making the case to donors. Simultaneously, those efforts raise awareness and understanding about the issues facing refugees today.