ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Muhammed Idris - Entrepreneur, investor
Muhammed Idris wants to improve social services delivery through collective and artificial intelligence.

Why you should listen

Dr. Muhammed Y. Idris, PhD is a Fellow at Capria, a leading global impact investment firm, and the cofounder and lead developer of Edel Technologies, an organization that build AI-powered tools and products for frontline humanitarian organizations and service providers, including the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Inspired by own personal experiences with refugee resettlement, Idris left academia to build the world's first virtual advocate bot, Atar, that empowers refugees and other newcomers with information about what to do, where to go and what to expect using customized step-by-step guides.

Trained as a computational social scientist, Idris started his career in finance at BlackRock and went on to complete a PhD with a focus on research and development of open-source tools for leveraging socially-generating "big data" and make it easy to digest this complex technical information into actionable insights.

Idris's work has been presented at numerous academic, policy and industry conferences, and he has held teaching and research positions at the University of Washington, The Pennsylvania State University, Concordia University in Montreal as well as Harvard University, where he held a predoctoral fellowship at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affair while completing his dissertation.

As a self-taught programmer, Idris enjoys teaching statistics and programming in his spare time. While his current focus in on helping streamline and scale refugee resettlement, his mission is to help improve social services delivery for all through collective and artificial intelligence as an entrepreneur and investor.

More profile about the speaker
Muhammed Idris | Speaker | TED.com
TED Residency

Muhammed Idris: What refugees need to start new lives

Muhammed Idris: O que os refuxiados precisan para comezar unha nova vida

Filmed:
1,667,978 views

Cada minuto, hai 20 novos desprazadas pola mudanza climática, crises económicas e inestabilidade política, segundo o ACNUR. Como podemos axudalos a vencer as barreiras para comezar unha nova vida? O residente de TED Muhammed Idris lidera un equipo de tecnólogos, investigadores e refuxiados para crear Atar, o primeiro avogado baseado en IA que os guía durante o reasentamento, e axúdaos a recuperar os seus dereitos e a súa dignidade. "Obter acceso aos bos recursos e información pode ser a diferenza entre a vida e a morte." di Idrid.
- Entrepreneur, investor
Muhammed Idris wants to improve social services delivery through collective and artificial intelligence. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
About two years ago,
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Hai dous anos,
recibín unha chamada que
cambiou a miña vida.
00:14
I got a phone call that changed my life.
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00:17
"Hey, this is your cousin Hassen."
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"Ola, son o teu primo Hassen."
Eu quedei paralizado.
00:21
I froze.
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00:23
You see, I have well over
30 first cousins,
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Teño ben máis de trinta primos,
00:26
but I didn't know anybody named Hassen.
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pero non coñecía a ninguén chamado Hassen.
00:29
It turned out that Hassen
was actually my mom's cousin
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Resultou que Hassen
era un curmán da miña nai
que acababa de chegar
a Montreal como refuxiado.
00:32
and had just arrived
in Montreal as a refugee.
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00:35
And over the next few months,
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Nos seguintes meses,
tres parentes meus virían
ó Canadá buscando asilo
00:36
I would have three more relatives
coming to Canada to apply for asylum
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3333
00:40
with little more than
the clothes on their back.
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con pouco máis que a roupa posta.
Nos dous anos posteriores a esta chamada,
00:43
And in the two years
since that phone call,
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a miña vida cambiou por completo.
00:45
my life has completely changed.
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Deixei a academia
00:48
I left academia
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00:49
and now lead a diverse team
of technologists, researchers and refugees
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e agora dirixo un equipo diverso
de tecnólogos, investigadores e refuxiados
que desenvolve recursos personalizados
de autoaxuda para os novos refuxiados.
00:53
that is developing customized
self-help resources for newcomers.
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Queremos axudalos a vencer a linguaxe,
a cultura e as outras barreiras
00:58
We want to help them overcome
language, cultural and other barriers
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que lles fan sentir que perderon
o control das propias vidas.
01:02
that make them feel like they've lost
control over their own lives.
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Sentimos que a IA pode axudar
a restaurar os dereitos e a dignidade
01:06
And we feel that AI can help restore
the rights and the dignity
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que moitos perden cando buscan axuda.
01:09
that many people lose when seeking help.
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A experiencia da miña familia
como refuxiados non é única.
01:12
My family's refugee experience
is not unique.
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Segundo ACNUR,
01:16
According to the UNHCR,
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cada minuto, hai 20 novos desprazados
01:18
every minute, 20 people
are newly displaced
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polo cambio climático, crises económicas
01:21
by climate change, economic crisis
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e inestabilidade social e política.
01:23
and social and political instability.
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01:26
And it was while volunteering
at a local YMCA shelter
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E foi mentres traballabamos
no refuxio local de YMCA
onde meu primo Hassen
e outros parentes foron enviados
01:29
that my cousin Hassen
and other relatives were sent to
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01:32
that we saw and learned to appreciate
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que vimos e aprendemos a apreciar
o esforzo e a coordinación
que o reasentamento require
01:34
how much effort and coordination
resettlement requires.
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Cando chegas, tes que buscar un avogado
01:39
When you first arrive,
you need to find a lawyer
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e encher documentos legais
en dúas semanas.
01:42
and fill out legal documents
within two weeks.
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Tamén tes que superar
un exame médico cun médico autorizado,
01:45
You also need to schedule a medical exam
with a pre-authorized physician,
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só para poder pedir
un visado de traballo.
01:49
just so that you can apply
for a work permit.
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E tes que empezar a buscar
un sitio onde vivir
01:51
And you need to start looking
for a place to live
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antes de recibir calquera tipo
de asistencia social.
01:54
before you receive
any sort of social assistance.
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Con miles que foxen dos Estados Unidos
01:58
With thousands fleeing the United States
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para buscar asilo no Canadá
os últimos anos,
02:00
to seek asylum in Canada
over the past few years,
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rapidamente vimos como é
02:03
we quickly saw what it looks like
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cando hai máis persoas que necesitan axuda
que recursos para axudalas.
02:04
when there are more people who need help
than there are resources to help them.
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Os servizos sociais
non se amplían rapidamente,
02:09
Social services doesn't scale quickly,
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e mesmo se as comunidades
fan o maior esforzo
02:11
and even if communities do their best
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para axudar a máis persoas
con recursos limitados,
02:14
to help more people
with limited resources,
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os que chegan quedan máis tempo
esperando no limbo,
02:17
newcomers end up spending
more time waiting in limbo,
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sen saber onde ir.
02:19
not knowing where to turn.
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En Montreal, por exemplo,
02:22
In Montreal, for example,
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a pesar dos millóns de dólares gastos
para apoio aos reasentamentos
02:23
despite millions of dollars being spent
to support resettlement efforts,
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case 50% dos que chegan
aínda non saben
02:27
nearly 50 percent of newcomers
still don't know
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que existen recursos gratis
02:30
that there are free resources that exist
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para axudalos con todo,
desde os documentos
02:32
to help them with everything
from filling out paperwork
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ata atopar un traballo.
02:35
to finding a job.
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O desafío non é que non
existan esas informacións.
02:37
The challenge is not
that this information doesn't exist.
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Polo contrario, os necesitados
son bombardeados con tanta información
02:41
On the contrary, those in need are often
bombarded with so much information
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que se fai dificil darlle sentido a todo.
02:45
that it's difficult
to make sense of it all.
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"Non me deas máis
información, dime só que facer."
02:48
"Don't give me more information,
just tell me what to do,"
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era a preocupación oída
unha e outra vez.
02:52
was a sentiment we heard
over and over again.
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Isto reflicte o incriblemente
difícil que é adaptarse
02:55
And it reflects how insanely difficult
it could be to get your bearings
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02:59
when you first arrive in a new country.
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cando chegas a un novo país.
Hostia, tiven os mesmos problemas
cando cheguei a Montreal,
03:02
Hell, I struggled with the same issues
when I got to Montreal,
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e teño un doutoramento.
03:06
and I have a PhD.
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(Risa)
03:08
(Laughter)
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Como outro membro do noso equipo,
tamén refuxiado, dixo:
03:10
As another member of our team,
himself also a refugee, put it:
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"En Canadá, unha tarxeta SIM
é máis importante ca a comida,
03:14
"In Canada, a SIM card
is more important than food,
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porque non morreremos coa fame."
03:17
because we will not die from hunger."
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Pero obter acceso
aos recursos e á información correcta
03:20
But getting access to the right
resources and information
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pode ser a diferenza
entre a vida e a morte.
03:23
can be the difference
between life and death.
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Deixádeme dicilo de novo:
03:27
Let me say that again:
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obter acceso aos recursos
e á información correcta
03:28
getting access to the right
resources and information
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pode ser a diferenza
entre a vida e a morte.
03:32
can be the difference
between life and death.
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Para resolver estas cuestións,
03:37
In order to address these issues,
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construímos Atar,
03:38
we built Atar,
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a primeira avogada virtual baseada en AI
03:40
the first-ever AI-powered virtual advocate
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que te guía paso a paso
durante a túa primeira semana
03:43
that guides you step-by-step
through your first week
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na nova cidade.
03:46
of arriving in a new city.
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03:47
Just tell Atar what you need help with.
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Só dille a Atar o que necesitas.
Atar entón faiche
algunhas preguntas básicas
03:50
Atar will then ask you
some basic questions
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para entender
a túa situación particular
03:52
to understand your unique circumstances
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e determina a túa elixibilidade
para os recursos.
03:54
and determine your eligibility
for resources.
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Por exemplo: Tes un sitio
onde durmir esta noite?
03:57
For example: Do you have
a place to stay tonight?
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Se non, preferirías un albergue
só para mulleres?
04:01
If not, would you prefer
an all-women's shelter?
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Tes fillos?
04:05
Do you have children?
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Atar xera entón unha lista
paso a paso de cousas que facer
04:07
Atar will then generate
a custom, step-by-step to-do list
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que che indica
todo o que necesitas saber,
04:10
that tells you everything
that you need to know,
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onde ir, como chegar,
04:12
from where to go, how to get there,
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que levar contigo
04:15
what to bring with you
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e que expectativas ter.
04:16
and what to expect.
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04:18
You can ask a question at any time,
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Podes facer preguntas en calquera momento,
e se o Atar non ten unha reposta,
04:21
and if Atar doesn't have an answer,
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poñerate en contacto
cunha persoa real que a teña.
04:23
you'll be connected
with a real person who does.
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Pero o máis emocionante
04:26
But what's most exciting
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é que axudamos a organizacións
e servizos humanitarios
04:29
is that we help humanitarian
and service organizations
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04:32
collect the data and the analytics
that's necessary to understand
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a recoller os datos
e as análises necesarios para comprender
o cambio das necesidades dos que chegan
04:36
the changing needs of newcomers
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04:37
in real time.
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en tempo real.
Isto é algo revolucionario.
04:39
That's a game changer.
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Xa fixemos unha parcería con ACNUR
04:42
We've already partnered with the UNHCR
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para proporcionar esta
tecnoloxía en Canadá,
04:44
to provide this technology in Canada,
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04:46
and in our work have conducted
campaigns in Arabic, English,
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e no noso traballo diriximos
campañas en árabe, inglés,
francés, crioulo e español.
04:50
French, Creole and Spanish.
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Cando falamos do problema dos refuxiados,
04:54
When we talk about the issue of refugees,
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a miúdo centrámonos
nas estatísticas oficiais
04:57
we often focus on the official statistic
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2017
04:59
of 65.8 million forcibly
displaced worldwide.
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dos 65.8 millóns de desprazados forzosos
en todo o mundo.
Pero a realidade é moito maior.
05:03
But the reality is much greater than that.
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Para o 2050, haberá máis
de 140 millón de persoas
05:07
By 2050, there will be
an additional 140 million people
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en risco de ser desprazadas
debido á degradación ambiental.
05:12
who are at risk of being displaced
due to environmental degradation.
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E hoxe --hoxe-- hai
case mil millóns de persoas
05:16
And today -- that is today --
there are nearly one billion people
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que xa viven en asentamentos
ilegais e barrios marxinais.
05:21
who already live in illegal
settlements and slums.
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Reasentamento e integración
05:25
Resettlement and integration
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son os maiores desafíos do noso tempo.
05:27
is one of the greatest
challenges of our time.
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E a nosa esperanza é que Atar proporcione
un avogado a cada recén chegado.
05:30
and our hope is that Atar can provide
every single newcomer an advocate.
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A nosa esperanza é que Atar
amplifique os esforzos que xa existen
05:36
Our hope is that Atar
can amplify existing efforts
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05:40
and alleviate pressure
on a social safety net
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e que alivie a presión
na rede de protección social
05:43
that's already stretched
beyond imagination.
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que xa está tensionada
alén do imaxinable.
Pero o que é importante para nós
05:47
But what's most important to us
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é que o noso traballo axude
a restablecer os dereitos e a dignidade
05:49
is that our work helps restore
the rights and the dignity
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que os refuxiados perden durante
o reasentamento e a integración
05:54
that refugees lose throughout
resettlement and integration
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05:57
by giving them the resources that
they need in order to help themselves.
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dándolles os recursos que necesitan
para se axudaren a si mesmos.
Grazas.
06:02
Thank you.
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(Aplausos)
06:03
(Applause)
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Translated by Isadora Leão
Reviewed by Xosé María Moreno

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Muhammed Idris - Entrepreneur, investor
Muhammed Idris wants to improve social services delivery through collective and artificial intelligence.

Why you should listen

Dr. Muhammed Y. Idris, PhD is a Fellow at Capria, a leading global impact investment firm, and the cofounder and lead developer of Edel Technologies, an organization that build AI-powered tools and products for frontline humanitarian organizations and service providers, including the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Inspired by own personal experiences with refugee resettlement, Idris left academia to build the world's first virtual advocate bot, Atar, that empowers refugees and other newcomers with information about what to do, where to go and what to expect using customized step-by-step guides.

Trained as a computational social scientist, Idris started his career in finance at BlackRock and went on to complete a PhD with a focus on research and development of open-source tools for leveraging socially-generating "big data" and make it easy to digest this complex technical information into actionable insights.

Idris's work has been presented at numerous academic, policy and industry conferences, and he has held teaching and research positions at the University of Washington, The Pennsylvania State University, Concordia University in Montreal as well as Harvard University, where he held a predoctoral fellowship at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affair while completing his dissertation.

As a self-taught programmer, Idris enjoys teaching statistics and programming in his spare time. While his current focus in on helping streamline and scale refugee resettlement, his mission is to help improve social services delivery for all through collective and artificial intelligence as an entrepreneur and investor.

More profile about the speaker
Muhammed Idris | Speaker | TED.com

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