Samantha
Wolhuter
Co-founder and COO at Crisis Cognition
"When the System Fails: AI, Resilience, and Crisis Innovation in the Global South"
"When the System Fails: AI, Resilience, and Crisis Innovation in the Global South"
Tue May 12 - 7:50 AM EDT/New York (See in local time)
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05/12/2026 7:50 AM
05/12/2026 08:10 AM
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"When the System Fails: AI, Resilience, and Crisis Innovation in the Global South"
#WTGC2026
"When the System Fails: AI, Resilience, and Crisis Innovation in the Global South"
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"When the System Fails: AI, Resilience, and Crisis Innovation in the Global South"
"When the System Fails: AI, Resilience, and Crisis Innovation in the Global South"
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Session: When the System Fails: AI, Resilience, and Crisis Innovation in the Global South
The Global South is facing an unprecedented convergence of crises, from natural disasters and armed conflicts to mass displacement. These events consistently trigger the collapse of the very infrastructure essential for a coordinated response, particularly power and internet connectivity. While artificial intelligence holds immense promise for humanitarian aid, conventional AI systems, designed for the stable, high-connectivity environments of the Global North, are rendered useless when they are needed most. This dependency on cloud-based processing and massive datasets creates a fundamental paradox: the regions that could benefit most from AI are the least equipped to support it.This talk challenges the prevailing paradigm of AI development and deployment. It makes the case for a new class of AI systems designed from first principles for resilience and offline operation. We will introduce O-LA, a self-contained, portable AI node built for the unique challenges of crisis zones. O-LA operates entirely offline, providing critical intelligence—from medical triage guidance and logistics coordination to multilingual communication—through a simple, intuitive interface that requires no prior training. By deploying AI that functions without internet or a stable power grid, we can create intelligent infrastructure where none exists. This is not just about innovation; it is about building AI that works when everything else fails, ensuring that life-saving intelligence persists even when the system collapses.
Key Takeaways
- The Infrastructure Paradox: The AI systems built in the Global North rely on stable power and internet, the very things that disappear in a crisis. This makes them fundamentally unsuited for the environments where they could have the greatest humanitarian
- Redefine AI for Resilience: Instead of waiting for infrastructure that may never come, we must build AI from first principles for the Global South. This means designing for offline, low-power, and autonomous operation to create intelligence that persists
- Innovation as a Survival Tool: In crisis contexts, technology is not about impressive demos; it's about practical tools that work under pressure. Offline AI is more than just innovation—it's a lifeline that creates infrastructure where none exists, delive
Bio
Samantha Wolhuter is a visionary technology co-founder and C-suite leader with over 15 years of professional experience. As the Co-founder and COO of Crisis Cognition, she is part of the team that invented the first offline, off-grid AI for humanitarian aid in disaster zones. A recognized thought leader and the author of two books on AI, Samantha also serves as a Board Member for Disaster Tech Lab, leveraging her expertise to guide technology strategy for global disaster response.