Policymakers, disaster managers, and scientists who seek to recognize emergent disaster risks and make sense of climatic volatility are increasingly interested in deploying AI to enhance their capabilities – to identify risks sooner, to effectively communicate, and to rapidly engage where help is needed most. AI tools and AI-enhanced approaches are being applied to improve hazard modeling and disaster risk modeling, to enhance predictive analytics and forecasting, to enhance and calibrate risk communication, or to optimize the allocation of resources for anticipatory action or disaster response.
At the same time, as new applications for AI are tested and touted there is a need to critically differentiate between approaches – acknowledging that not all uses of AI are equally useful or game-changing, and unpacking the potential risks, uncertainties, and ethical issues related to certain AI-driven efforts. In what ways might AI, properly vetted and carefully applied, change the work of disaster risk analysis or help us reckon with the myriad of chronic issues that shape the field of disaster management?
This panel discussion brings together experts across research, policy, and practice to explore intersections of AI and disaster risk – to highlight innovative approaches, opportunities, and challenges in this rapidly evolving space. First, speakers will discuss the state of the art for AI/ML applications in disaster science and humanitarian action – sharing technical examples of cutting-edge AI approaches for different hazard types such as floods, landslides, wildfires, etc. Second, our conversation will shift registers to focus on the policy implications of AI use and to examine questions of ethics, responsibility, and governance.
This event is made possible with the support of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP).
Featured Speakers
Kevin White, Senior Director, AI for Good Lab, Microsoft
Kevin White serves as a Senior Director at Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, developing innovative solutions for pressing societal challenges. In collaboration with global experts, Kevin focuses on information integrity, sustainability, and humanitarian disaster response and resilience initiatives.
Beth Tellman, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer, Floodbase
Dr. Beth Tellman is the Chief Scientist and Co-founder of Floodbase, where she oversees the science team to map flood exposure, risk, and social vulnerability. She has been passionate about reducing flood vulnerability for vulnerable communities since she worked in flood relief and resilience efforts in El Salvador from 2009-2012, and she engages in a wide array of disciplines and methods. Beth is a former Fulbright fellow, National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow, and she received her PhD in Geographical Sciences from Arizona State University in 2019.
Pukar Amatya, Associate Research Scientist, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Dr. Pukar Amatya is an Associate Research Scientist with University of Maryland, Baltimore County currently based at the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. As a member of the NASA landslides team, Dr. Amatya’s primary responsibility is to develop automatic landslide detection algorithms. He led the development of the Semi-Automatic Landslide Detection (SALaD) system, widely used to generate landslide inventories to support rapid response and landslide modeling activities at NASA.
Dan Hammer, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, LGND and Clay; Co-Founder, Ode
Dr. Dan Hammer is the co-founder of LGND, a venture-backed startup building AI infrastructure for Earth observation data, and co-founder of Ode, a design and technology agency for environmental applications. He is a National Geographic Explorer and recipient of the inaugural Pritzker Environmental Genius Award and UC Berkeley’s Mark Bingham Award for Excellence in Achievement. Dan holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from UC Berkeley.
Moderated By
Rachael Lau, Loomis Council Member, Stimson Center
Dr. Rachael Lau is an engineer and researcher specializing in geospatial intelligence, disaster risk, and applied AI. She has advised on infrastructure risk at USAID, consulted on disaster modeling for U.S. state governments, and was recently selected as a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow in AI. Lau also leads the Kathmandu Geo Lab, an initiative she founded to advance hazard early warning through interdisciplinary research and community engagement in Nepal. She holds a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University.
Austin Lord, Senior Fellow, Energy, Water, and Sustainability Program, Stimson Center
Dr. Austin Lord is a Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center where his research investigates issues related to on disaster and climate risk management, water and energy policy, infrastructure development, and environmental governance. Lord leads Stimson’s work in the Himalayan region, which currently focuses on developing monitoring and early warning systems for cascading hazards and extreme flow events. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from Cornell, and a MS in Environmental Science from Yale.