Grass is always dark(er) on the other side

Exploring the dark side of artificial intelligence humanitarian supply chain operations

Bibliographic Data

ID21402253
AuthorsAditya Behl (0000-0002-5157-0121, Keele University), Abhishek Behl, Shikha Bhardwaj (0000-0002-7907-092X, Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur), Nirma Jayawardena (University of Bradford), Vijay Pereira (0000-0001-6755-0793, NEOMA Business School), Mohammad Roohanifar (0000-0002-3670-8890, Manchester Metropolitan University, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume224
Pages124484
Publication date2026-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTechnological Forecasting and Social Change (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0040-1625 • E-ISSN: 1873-5509
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.techfore.2025.124484
OpenAlexW7115165405
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited52

Humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) have undergone significant changes over the years, shifting from traditional systems to more intelligent and, eventually, AI-enabled operations. With technological advancements accelerating across sectors, humanitarian organizations have also begun adopting artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their workflows, improve efficiency, and reduce losses. While much of the existing research has focused on the benefits of AI in business and logistics, there is still limited understanding of its potential downsides—particularly within humanitarian settings. This study addresses that gap by exploring how AI may negatively affect HSC activities, both at the individual (micro) and organizational (macro) levels. To guide our analysis, we draw on the Belief-Action-Outcome (BAO) framework, which helps connect personal and institutional beliefs to actions and resulting outcomes. Humanitarian supply chains operate in complex environments where technology use intersects with human behavior, organizational culture, and social values. To better understand these dynamics, we conducted qualitative interviews with professionals working in humanitarian organizations. These insights allowed us to identify and map various challenges—what we refer to as the “dark side” of AI—onto specific functions within HSC operations. Our findings not only highlight areas of concern but also contribute to the broader application of the BAO model in the humanitarian field. • Humanitarian Supply Chain (HSC) use Artificial Intelligence to improve operational efficiency and minimize losses. • Study explore adverse impact of AI on HSC within organizations. • Uses Belief Action Outcome (BAO) model to investigate the study using qualitative data. • Micro and Macro perspectives of dark side of AI in HSC operations

Action (physics) · Field (mathematics) · Great Rift · Humanitarian aid · Humanitarian Logistics · Macro · Supply chain · Supply chain management · Disaster Management and Resilience · Facility Location and Emergency Management · Global Health and Surgery

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