AI for Disasters - Insights from Humanitarian and Development sectors

AI technology applied in humanitarian and public sectors poses different challenges and incentives compared to commercial sector AI. Various international organizations, such as the Red Cross and the World Bank, have been working with their client countries on post-disaster response and recovery, as well as community resilience/preparedness for disasters. As AI and increasingly available geospatial datasets provide new opportunities for monitoring disaster risks at unprecedented scale and granularity, how can we assess and design such tools to minimize potential harms emerging from AI systems? In what cases should we not use AI? This session will feature work from a number of organizations seeking to assess the social consequences of AI tools in disaster management and develop appropriate measures to ensure these technologies support efforts to build a safe, just, and sustainable society for everyone.