"ChatGPT, Don't Tell Me What to Do": Designing AI for Context Analysis in Humanitarian Frontline Negotiations

Abstract: Frontline humanitarian negotiators are increasingly exploring ways to use AI tools in their workflows. However, current AI-tools in negotiation primarily focus on outcomes, neglecting crucial aspects of the negotiation process. Through iterative co-design with experienced frontline negotiators (n=32), we found that flexible tools that enable contextualizing cases and exploring options (with associated risks) are more effective than those providing direct recommendations of negotiation strategies. Surprisingly, negotiators demonstrated tolerance for occasional hallucinations and biases of AI. Our findings suggest that the design of AI-assisted negotiation tools should build on practitioners' existing practices, such as weighing different compromises and validating information with peers. This approach leverages negotiators' expertise while enhancing their decision-making capabilities. We call for technologists to learn from and collaborate closely with frontline negotiators, applying these insights to future AI designs and jointly developing professional guidelines for AI use in humanitarian negotiations.