IOM warns that misinformation on migrants is spreading with IA

A misinformation about migrants is spreading rapidly thanks mainly to artificial intelligence (IA), said today the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, warning of the mistrust that this generates.

The situation “turns anxiety into distrust and turns people into targets,” stressed the UN Migration Agency’s head during the opening of the Human Mobility Forum International Migration Dialogue in Geneva, Switzerland.

According to Amy Pope, the false or misleading narratives about migrants, disseminated by social networks and by the generic AI, “deepen polarization and distrust in communities”, further increasing public doubts about government management of migration.

However, it underlines the IOM, the 304 million migrants in the world (including 168 million workers) sustain approximately one billion people with their remittances, i.e. about one eighth of the world's population.

The UN agency also notes that almost half of migrants are women and girls, many at risk of discrimination, abuse and exploitation.

In her speech, Amy Pope also recalled that climate pressures, conflicts and economic uncertainties test governments and communities, arguing that “only data and statistics will not regain public confidence.”.

Therefore, the responsible woman called for an “active listening” and for international institutions to be honest about the shortcomings of the current system, stressing that they should listen and act, “even when what they hear is uncomfortable”.

Established in 2001, the International Dialogue on Migration functions as a meeting space for Member States, UN agencies, private sector, academics, civil society and migrants themselves to analyze the opportunities and challenges of global human mobility.