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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having an undoubtable impact!
From our daily lives to saving lives, it seems that the possibilities are endless with this evolving technology.
There’s so much work being done around utilising AI in specific ‘For Good’ areas, so we partnered with NASA Disasters program, ARISE US, and Redulac, to create our brand new white paper - The Impact of AI Technologies in Disaster Risk Reduction!
(Psst! Download your own copy here!)
But it doesn’t stop there! With so many valuable, expert insights in this white paper, we decided that a great way to shine the spotlight even brighter on this release would be to host a webinar dedicated to the topic. That’s when “Discover the future of disaster response with AI” was born.
Over 90 sign ups, 4 amazing panellists, 1 very important, and now you too!
This blog provides a quick run down of everything you need to know, and you can rewatch the recording whenever suits you.
Are you ready to discover the future of disaster response with AI? Let’s dive in!
Meet our panel
Peter Williams
As Co-Chair of ARISE-US, UNDRR’s global vehicle for building collaboration in disaster resilience, Peter leads the organisation in the creation of various Disaster Risk Reduction tools and projects. He is a main author of the white paper and was key to its creation!
Hannah Zitner
With over 15 years experience, Hannah has worked across various organisations and sectors. She is a Global Safety & Security Director and also the Founder of ‘Nonprofit Tech Solutions’ a small consultancy helping local nonprofits implement easy, affordable technology for their operations.
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Duncan Cook
Our very own fearless CEO and Founder! Duncan is incredibly passionate about the future of technology and how we can harness developments, such as AI, to have a positive impact on humanity and the world.
Sophie “Puff” Story
As Co-Founder of 3 Sided Cube USA, Puff is a champion of Tech for Good. She works with our clients and wider network to change millions of lives for the better through the power of technology and AI!
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Artificial Intelligence in Disaster Response
Now it’s time for the good stuff! The exclusive, valuable insights, quotes from our experts, and key takeaways you need to know.
Real-World Applications
Our white paper content is full of use cases for AI in Disaster Risk Reduction. As much as we’d love to cover them all in the webinar, we asked our panel to pick the ones that caught their attention the most.
Flood Inundation Prediction,
Rapid Damage Assessment Using Deep Learning,
Anomaly Detection for Weather Data Quality Control,
Regional Science Advisory Group for AI in Disaster Risk Reduction.
But you'll have to tune in to the recording to find out what they said.
"AI has incredible potential benefits for Disaster Risk Reduction and for populations that experience it. And it has incredible potential downsides, and the white paper was basically an exercise in trying to figure out how you get the one without the other"
Peter Williams, Co-Chair of ARISE- US
Overcoming AI's Shortfalls
Our panel agreed that AI holds significant advantages. However, there are particular risks and issues that need to be overcome in order for AI to be truly effective. These include:
Data security,
AI's explainability,
Humanity's trust in using AI,
And the perception of risk in implementing AI as NGOs, Charities and other 'For Good' organisations.
"Would I want to fly in an AI powered airplane right now? Probably not."
Peter Williams, Co-Chair of ARISE- US
"We've been given money by donors to deliver aid in Yemen, if we then decide to say 'We're going to do it in a slightly different way', and we any experimentation there is a chance of failure, we don't really have the luxury of failing"
Hannah Zitner, Founder of Nonprofit Tech Solutions
But there are ways to overcome these shortfalls!
There were many details to the discussion, but the mian points our panel touched on were:
Experiment where and when you can,
Co-design with your beneficiaries and end users,
The use of innovation teams to limit the risk of failure,
Encouraging collaboration to learn from one another across teams and organisations,
Provide more detailed guidelines around AI, rather than strict policies that are "yes or No' focused.
What are the implications of DeepSeek?
DeepSeek showed that other players can enter the market, and we are now the spectators to an AI race. This means the market is going to become a lot more competitive, but it also means that prices are likely to stay low for the next three to four years.
"It's all about what you build. You can now change and move across different AI models"
Duncan Cook, CEO and Founder of 3 Sided Cube
How should someone start using AI in this space?
Don't know where to start? Our panel have got you covered! Their advice can be broken down into these steps:
Identify what problem you are trying to solve,
Think about what technology you need,
Start with off-the-shelf solutions. Research what technology already exists and if you can apply it,
Test and experiment!
If you can't find an existing solution, then look into custom software.
"Don't create something new just for the sake of it... there's always something that exists, whether or not it does exactly what you want or whether or not you have to tinker and tailor with it"
Puff Story, Co-Founder of 3 Sided Cube USA
One piece of advice from our panel
For anyone wanting to investigate the applications of AI in the DIsaster Risk Reduction space, or anyone who wants to action an AI project or implementation, our panel had some wise words of wisdom:
Peter Williams: Keep your eye on the prize but maintain a healthy skepticism
Hannah Zitner: Don't be afraid to just try. Just try different things and see what happens.
Duncan Cook: It's very easy to feel behind. No one is really an expert in this space, we're all learning. However you learn, spend a part of your day familiarising with AI and experimenting with it.
Missed us Live?
The insights don’t stop here! As we mentioned earlier you can still sign up to watch the full webinar recording here.
Or if you’re ready for more and want to read all of the details, you can download our white paper ‘The Impact of AI Technologies in Disaster Risk Reduction’ here!
For more things tech for good, stay tuned for our latest blog posts or shout us a holla to get in touch with us, we would love to hear from you 💚
Published on 19 March 2025, last updated on 19 March 2025
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