In an article posted by the International Business Times, the Philippines is number 1 among the top 10 highest disaster risk countries. However, they believe that AIRCoDE launched by DOST can alleviate those disasters. The approach, which they refer to as a “Defense in Depth”, is to integrate the use of AI (machine learning) to Disaster Preparedness, and to achieve that they opened The AI Research Center for Community Development (AIRCoDE) last July. “This project will make a genuine difference by estimating flood levels and offering real-time notifications through websites, social media pages, and SMS in order to better prepare our community for calamities” according to Joseph Jessie Oñate, Project Leader.
Screenshot of the title page of the article written by Marvie Basilan from International Business Times’ website
They have also pointed out that the Philippines has a high degree of smartphone adoption and connectivity, which will be advantages in utilizing AI-enabled management services. This will be part of their Defense in Depth (DiD) strategy, where AI is an additional layer of security in addition to other levels of security that monitor and check each other. UP Resilience Institute Executive Director Dr. Mahar Lagmay also said to the International Business Times that for the AI to be integrated would require good data be used in training the AI otherwise it would be “Garbage in, Garbage out”. Human training is critical for their effectiveness. However, he said that “There is no way to stop” the presence of AI in disaster management.
Read the full article by International Business Times by clicking on this link.