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The first part of the workshop featured a dynamic presentation by Elias Boustani, AI Transformation Leader and founder of Metod. With over two decades of experience in technology and strategy consulting, Elias brought clarity to a complex topic. His session offered a clear narrative of the AI technology journey from early rule-based systems to today's large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT.
To illustrate AI’s potential, Elias invited the audience to think of it like electricity: a general-purpose technology that, when first introduced, didn’t just power light bulbs, but eventually enabled an entire ecosystem of innovation, from televisions to kitchen appliances.
Elias emphasized that AI isn’t a solution looking for a problem, it’s a flexible tool that can enhance everyday processes across every department. He provided insights into questions around the use of AI for Human Resource teams reviewing candidates and the use of AI to support in procurement processes.
When asked where organizations should begin, the answer was "Start with pain points, not perfection”. Elias recommended beginning in areas with high-volume, rule-based tasks, like filtering job applications, drafting donor reports, or standardizing data collection tools. All of which are areas where organizations find themselves expending significant efforts for quality outputs.
He addressed the practical implementation as well: organizations can start by testing widely available tools before investing in custom software. He stressed that IT teams play a key role, but they don’t have to carry it alone. When it comes to moulding AI to serve each organization’s specific needs, cross-department collaboration is essential, especially between HR, procurement, program and communications team members, each of whom hold a piece of the puzzle that comes together for successful project design and implementation.
The group then joined together to conduct a rapid mapping exercise where they identified where AI could already be applied within their organizations. This interactive moment sparked lively exchanges, as participants identified areas where AI was already being used, and where its potential remained untapped.
To explore the legal implications of AI use, Swisscontact invited Julien Ghoussoub, a business lawyer with a sharp focus on digital and copyright law. One key takeaway from Julien was that while AI can be a powerful co-pilot, the human input still matters, legally and ethically.
Julien referenced major U.S. court cases that reinforce this idea, such as Thaler v. Perlmutter (2023), where a court confirmed that works created solely by AI are not eligible for copyright protection. This means NGOs must ensure significant human authorship if they want to legally protect the work they produce using AI. Julien’s session also addressed two pressing risks for NGOs: data privacy and liability. Many humanitarian organizations work with highly sensitive information, from personal beneficiary data to confidential donor agreements. Uploading such data into public AI tools, he warned, could lead to serious legal violations. Julien warned that legal responsibility for harm could still be assigned to an organization even if the AI tool in question was developed by a third party. When an NGO selects, deploys, and operates such a tool, the law may regard the organization as its custodian, thereby holding it accountable for any resulting consequences.
The final session of the workshop opened the floor to a Q&A and open exchange. Participants raised practical questions with the answers often circling back to one key recommendation: starting with internal capacity building is crucial. This includes involving technical teams, training program staff, and selecting tools that align with each organization’s mission, not just their workload.
This event served not only to inform, but to activate. It created a shared sense of direction among the participants on how to embrace AI responsibly and with confidence. Swisscontact itself is actively exploring AI integration across its operations, from internal communications to knowledge-sharing systems. These early efforts are grounded in the same values the organization promotes: accountability, transparency, and empowerment.
As organizations in Lebanon continue to face mounting demands and limited resources, this workshop offered something both practical and powerful: a glimpse into using AI as a tool for amplifying, not replacing, human impact.