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'People make the call': AI can advise, but humans must decide in crisis, experts warn
Leaders stress accountability, ethics and human oversight as AI accelerates decision-making in high-risk scenarios
- PUBLISHED: Tue 19 May 2026, 3:19 PM
As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms crisis management, global experts have cautioned that while machines can process information at unprecedented speed, the final decision must always remain in human hands.
Speaking at a high-level panel at Rabdan Academy, officials and defence leaders stressed that AI should act as an enabler, not a replacement, in high-stakes environments where seconds can determine outcomes.
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Opening the discussion, Dr. Warren Anthony Chin posed a critical question: how can command centres evolve when AI systems generate alerts faster than humans can process them during complex, fast-moving crises?
Dr. Saif Al Dhaheri, Director of the National Operations Center at NCEMA, said the answer lies in building “human-centered command rooms” that balance speed with accountability.
“AI is a fact, whether we like it or not. But you cannot eliminate the human factor from the equation,” he said.
Al Dhaheri explained that modern command systems must be designed to filter risks, automate low-level responses, and present clear decision dashboards. However, when consequences are high, human judgment becomes critical.
Highlighting the UAE’s real-world experience, he revealed that response teams often had just 90 seconds to act during missile and drone threats.
“We had to monitor multiple systems and ensure not a single missile was missed. The process is human-centric technology supports it, but people make the call,” he said.
He added that while AI can handle routine disruptions such as power or communication outages, complex crises involving national security demand human oversight.
From a warzone perspective, Oleksandr Balanutsa, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UAE and former Deputy Defense Minister, said AI has already reshaped battlefield operations but not decision-making authority.
“AI can be a player, a counselor, an advisor, but it cannot be the one making decisions,” he said.
Drawing on Ukraine’s experience, Balanutsa stressed that accountability cannot be outsourced to machines, especially when lives are at stake.
“If the system recommends a wrong decision, the responsibility lies with the person who presses the button,” he said.
He also warned that AI is only as reliable as the data and instructions behind it.
“If the metrics are wrong, everything can look fine on the screen, but you are heading in the wrong direction,” he added.
One of the key lessons from Ukraine, he said, is that AI must be integrated before crises occur, not during them.
“During a crisis, you don’t have time to test systems. We learned this the hard way,” he said.
Major General (Rtd) Ben Kite, former Director of UK Defense Intelligence, offered a different perspective, focusing on the human mind rather than the machine.
He argued that most failures in crisis situations stem not from lack of data, but from flawed human judgment.
“It’s rarely about lack of information; it’s about how we interpret it,” he said.
Kite highlighted how cognitive biases, such as rushing decisions or delaying them, become more pronounced under pressure.
“Humans have biases. In crises, these biases become stronger. That’s where AI can help, but also where we must be careful,” he noted.
He added that AI could even be used to monitor decision-makers themselves, detecting fatigue, stress, and cognitive overload in real time.
Despite AI’s growing capabilities, the panel agreed that ethical judgment remains uniquely human, a critical factor in situations involving civilian safety and moral responsibility.
In one example shared during the session, operators tracking incoming threats were forced to delay interception because of civilians below a decision no machine could fully contextualize.
“You don’t risk people’s lives for efficiency. Only a human can make that call,” Balanutsa said.
Arwa Almazrouei is an Arabic editor passionate about storytelling and journalism, and creating impactful content that highlights culture, society, and the inspirational.