Bridging the Gap: Human Connectors in AI-Powered Peacebuilding

Author: Adam Farquhar

The success and failure of Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects hinge not just on the technology itself, but on an often-overlooked factor: the presence and effectiveness of what this report calls the ‘bridge role’. As AI applications proliferate, from conflict prediction systems to automated translation tools, to data analysis platforms, peacebuilding organisations face a critical challenge: how to responsibly implement these powerful but often opaque technologies in contexts defined by sensitivity, stakes, and complexity. The challenge is fundamentally one of bridging worlds. AI systems deployed in peacebuilding contexts require not just technical excellence but also deep understanding of conflict dynamics, power relations, and local legitimacy. Without effective bridges between these domains, even the most technically sophisticated projects risk failure.

This report first looks at the interdisciplinary literature on this unique professional function, drawing insights from technology design, business management, digital humanities, peace and conflict studies, and feminist design principles. The report then develops a comprehensive framework that defines what bridge roles are, clarifies the specific functions they perform, and explains why they are essential to project success, before presenting findings from interviews with nine experts working at the intersection of AI and peacebuilding. Finally, the report examines the competencies required for effective bridge work. It identifies the key skills that enable individuals to successfully navigate between technical and domain worlds, and concludes with a series of practical recommendations for organisations looking to establish and support bridge roles within their teams.

Peace Analytics Series

PeaceRep’s Peace Analytics Series features the research methodology underlying the PeaceTech innovations of the PeaceRep programme.

The series includes: data scoping research; ‘how to’ discussions relating to particular challenges in the field of visualisations and geocoding; and other proof-of-concept tech-based innovations, such as the use of natural language processing. It is intended to present the methodologies and decisions behind our PeaceTech digital research, to make it transparent, and to contribute to establishing a new research digital infrastructure in the field of peace and conflict studies, by supporting others to reuse and repurpose our methodologies and findings.