
Stressing positive AI use big tech joining early warning system against disasters
Big tech companies are joining the World Meteorological Organisation in creating an early warning system against disasters based on artificial intelligence. The announcement can be seen as part of big techs’ ambition to make the discussion about AI more balanced after recent focus on the dangers with AI development.
WMO says AI can be used to improve the accuracy and timeliness of early warnings. The initiative is “to ensure that every person in the world is protected by early warning systems within the next five years.
AI can also be used to make early warnings more accessible to people in vulnerable areas, WMO says in a report for the World Economic Forum.
“The private sector has a huge potential role to play in the achievement of Early Warnings for All, through leveraging the outreach of Big Tech and the power of Artificial Intelligence”, WMO says.
“A growing number of big IT companies are interested in contributing to Early Warnings for All,” says WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas, in the report.
“The challenge of natural and man-made disasters and anthropogenic climate change and water resource impacts have to be tackled as a joint venture of the public and private sectors,” he says.
WMO says the upcoming strategic plan for 2024-2027 includes using AI to drive rapid progress in science and technology.
“Microsoft is committed to improve internet speed and accessibility and ensure that reliable and timely alerts from national meteorological and hydrological services can be disseminated by web browsers and desktop platforms”, WMO writes.
“Artificial intelligence and high-resolution satellites can be used to map at risk populations and in post-disaster damage assessment – as was the case in the earthquake in Turkey this year.”
“This can enhance national and community responses during a disaster. When we work together we can get more done,” says Chris Sharrock, VP UN and international affairs.
WMO says Google wants to cooperate in pilot countries on floods and is currently working with the WMO co-sponsored Global Heat Health Information Network to tackle extreme heat and inform people how to stay safe and protect themselves.
The report says Amazon is committed to leveraging the power of the Cloud for global early warning systems. It is supporting the new WMO Information System 2.0 (WIS 2.0), which is the framework for Earth Systems (meteorological, hydrological, climate and ocean) data sharing.
Meta has had disaster response features since 2014, reaching millions of people in communities impacted by crises across 125 countries and includes safety check alerts, crisis pages and community help.
Alibaba is joining the initiative and is using cloud innovation and AI to assist in disaster prevention and reduction, with a focus on Asia – for instance to support the recall of fishing vessels in typhoon weather, cleaning up rivers in flood season and to promote urban safety.
WMO writes that 95% of the world’s population is covered by a mobile network and that there are 5.4 billion unique mobile subscribers globally. Global mobile organisation GSMA will cooperate by engaging mobile network operators around the world.
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