Caption: Participants of the Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Disaster Management: Bridging 研究, 实践, 及社区参与 workshop held on the CU Boulder campus.

Participants were introduced to various applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the technology demo session as part of the AI4DM workshop, which took place on April 19 on the CU Boulder Campus 

 阿米尔·贝扎丹教授 

In disaster and emergency management, rescue teams rely on simple tools, like drones and mobile devices connected to the internet, to take photos of damaged buildings and document the resulting destruction. First responders use this information to prioritize where help is needed immediately and in the long-term.

同时, many emergency response agencies have been slow to embrace advanced tools like artificial intelligence (AI) due to concerns of complexity, 培训需求, initial costs and the potential impact on their work, 教授说 阿米尔H. Behzadan他是博彩平台推荐的教授 Department of 土木、环境 and 建筑工程 and a faculty research fellow of the 自然灾害中心 在 Institute of Behavioral Science. 

“这犹豫, along with a historical lack of diversity in the workforce, has contributed to delayed and unfair treatment of communities hit hardest by disasters,贝撒旦说. “Lower-income disaster survivor homeowners are not only less likely to receive assistance compared to wealthier counterparts, but also tend to receive substantially less aid.”

4月19日, Behzadan hosted a workshop titled “AI4DM - Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Disaster Management: Bridging 研究, 实践, 及社区参与," with participants from academia, disaster management practitioners and disaster nonprofits. Attendees included representatives from CU Boulder, Texas A&米大学, 佛罗里达大学, 北德克萨斯大学, University of Texas at Arlington, and University of Albany along with the Colorado Office of Emergency Management.

The workshop was supported by Behzadan’s NSF grant from the Future of Work: Human-Technology Frontier program, which aims to raise awareness of AI and related technologies in disaster management. Participants were introduced to human-centered AI applications in disaster management and encouraged to work toward ways to adopt AI-informed solutions.

“AI can be applied in disaster management for various purposes, such as generating instant disaster data visualizations; providing interview training and reskilling/upskilling for employees; assessing and mapping disaster damage; and enhancing disaster risk messaging and communication strategies,贝扎登说.

Human-centered AI focuses on designing AI systems that prioritize human needs, 值, 期望与经验, 以有益为目标, 公平的, 安全和合乎道德的结果. In disaster and emergency management, this includes increased representation of data from marginalized groups, using inclusive communication strategies that resonate with at-risk communities, considering linguistic and cultural sensitivities and removing personal biases when assessing community needs during disasters.

“Human-centered AI leads to more effective disaster response and recovery practices by promoting collaboration, understanding and inclusivity among team members, 幸存者和利益相关者,贝撒旦说. ”It helps create 公平的 solutions that address the needs of all affected communities, regardless of their socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.”

Behzaden and his team plan to pursue additional funding to sustain these efforts. While leveraging their existing partnerships in Texas and Florida, they are also forging new relationships with local communities as well as disaster and emergency management organizations in Colorado who will ultimately be the beneficiaries of these technologies.

“The success of any technology hinges on its adoption by the intended end users,贝撒旦说. “Understanding user needs and preferences, especially when working with vulnerable groups, is crucial for meaningful adoption and realizing the full potential of technological advancements.”