The Ethical Lens: Human Suffering in Nonprofit Storytelling
Truth, Power and AI in Emotional Imagery for Social Causes
The nonprofit sector runs on storytelling. Unlike the private sector where markets drive transaction, purpose-driven projects rely much more on people to convince others to act with persuasive information and narrative. The more emotionally compelling a story is, the more motivational power it has.
Witnessing human suffering is evocative. Whether we read about it, see images of it, or pass by someone in crisis on the street, most people will immediately feel a mix of strong emotions within — sadness, anger, pity, guilt, and sympathy among them. Moved by these feelings, people are primed to act, which begs a challenging moral question: is it ethical to use human suffering to aid in its relief?
Transforming human suffering into relief
This photo by Nick Ut titled, The Terror of War, depicting a young girl burned by napalm fleeing during the Vietnam War, is widely regarded as one of the most influential photographs ever taken. The jarring image was published in dozens of the most widely read newspapers in America bringing the abject horror of warfare to kitchen tables across the country. It affected the nation’s collective conscience helping to galvanize opposition to the war and increase pressure on the U.S. government to end the conflict.
In this case, broadcasting a person’s intense pain in a deeply revealing way had a dramatic effect on major international events that likely shortened the war and reduced suffering and loss of life. What would ordinarily be considered highly unethical conduct — publishing a nude photo of a minor without consent — is instead revered as an important form of speech that transformed violence into its antidote.
It helps that both parties, the girl, Phan Thị Kim Phúc, who survived, and the photographer, Nick Ut, mutually agree on the importance and righteous purpose of the moment that brought them together and marked them as internationally renowned peace activists.
What is ‘poverty porn’?
Because many nonprofits are dedicated to eradicating some form of hardship they are often privy to stories of human suffering. Some nonprofits have taken advantage of this situation in fundraising by prominently featuring imagery of people in agony, a practice that is sometimes called, ‘poverty porn’. This tactic is controversial because while effective, it is often criticized for being exploitative, voyeuristic and distorting of the people being featured.
What makes these two scenarios, The Terror of War and poverty porn, feel so different? On a recent walk with my wife and a friend of hers, these two wise ones helped me to pull apart the crucial difference, which is whether the imagery serves to reveal or obscure the truth.
Stories can reveal or obscure the truth
The famous war photo helped Americans to better comprehend, not only the impact of the conflict on innocent people, but their role or connection to it, as well. The presence of the soldiers walking casually alongside the distraught children who have no one to help them, gives the viewer so much context about who holds power and what systems of injustice are at work. The picture was deeply upsetting to millions who saw it and instantly understood the ugly truth it revealed.
Poverty porn, while similar in composition, has the net effect of obscuring truth from the viewer, instead of revealing it. When we see an image of, say, a hungry child begging for food, which an organization uses to raise money, it is implied that 1) money is the simple solution to the problem, and 2) we along with the organization can be heroes. Context is rarely considered because it may actually inhibit the objective, which is to elicit donations.
Poverty porn flattens and distorts people and situations to both manipulate and satisfy its audience. Americans who saw the terrified expressions of those Vietnamese children could not simply make a donation to make the awful feelings go away, and even if they did, no one would feel like a hero for doing so.
Does artificial suffering still cause harm?
How does AI image generation change this equation? I don’t think it really does. Even if there are no real people directly involved in a depiction of human suffering, if what is conveyed makes it harder to know the truth about a situation it is still harmful to do so. But it also opens the door to new possibilities for deepening understanding of truth through more effective forms of storytelling.
The image above, which I created using an AI image generator, could be used as part of an exploitative campaign, like a typical poverty porn-type ad, or it could be used by a reputable publication for illustrative purposes to help audiences better understand and connect with a people and their plight while protecting their real identities.
It is possible for artificial images to be truthful, and for real pictures to be fraudulent. AI image generators and other generative tools have redrawn the boundaries of content creation, but they leave untouched the ethics of storytelling. To share and to receive truth is a description of trust, which will always be the foundation of our most urgent endeavors.
I find it both exciting and reassuring that despite the seismic disruption new generative AI tools represent in content creation, it only accentuates the importance of human oversight and values in critical editorial roles. In fact, it’s already possible to use AI to help us to be more responsible truth/storytellers.
I uploaded the image below to ChatGPT and prompted it with the following:
Please critique this photo for potential ways in which it may be problematic or exploitative and suggest alternate imagery that could be used to convey the same important message
And here’s what it said:
The photograph depicts a woman in a moment of apparent emotional connection with a child, in what seems to be a setting of hardship given the sparse and bare environment. Critique of such images often centers on a few potential issues:
1. **Context and Consent**: It's important to consider the context in which the photo was taken and whether informed consent was obtained from the subjects, especially from vulnerable individuals like children.
2. **Representation**: Images that show individuals from developing regions in a state of vulnerability can sometimes perpetuate a one-dimensional narrative of those regions as places of suffering and dependency. This is sometimes referred to as "poverty porn."
3. **Power Dynamics**: The portrayal of a seemingly affluent outsider with a local child can inadvertently emphasize a savior complex, where the outsider is seen as a hero, which can undermine the agency of the local people.
4. **Privacy**: The child’s face is clearly visible, which might be a violation of their privacy, especially if they are in a vulnerable position and cannot give consent themselves.
To convey a message of empathy and support without potential exploitation:
- **Empowerment over Pity**: Focus on images that show local leaders, families, or individuals as empowered figures actively working to improve their situations. This can shift the narrative from one of helplessness to resilience and agency.
- **Partnership rather than Charity**: Imagery could include scenes of partnership, where outsiders and locals work side by side, sharing knowledge and skills equally.
- **Respectful Storytelling**: Ensure that the stories of individuals are told with dignity and respect, focusing on their strengths and potential rather than just their current circumstances.
- **Community Consent**: Images should be used with the explicit consent of the community and individuals depicted, ensuring that they are comfortable with how they are represented.
Alternate imagery could be:
- A community meeting where local leaders are discussing issues.
- Individuals from the community showcasing their skills or crafts.
- A group of international and local individuals collaborating on a project.
- Educational settings where children are shown learning and playing.
These types of images can convey hope, collaboration, and the dignity of the individuals and communities represented.
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Philip Deng is the CEO of Grantable, a company building AI-powered grant writing software to empower mission-driven organizations to access grant funding they deserve.