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AI Sub-Group of Early Warnings for All Initiative

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Early Warnings for All
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Federation of Red Cross
AI for EW4All country pilots help​s build the Global Map of the Unconnected

The Global Map of the Unconnected is being developed in collaboration with Microsoft, Planet and the Institute for Health Metrics of the University of Washington. This tool will help countries monitor and map the number of people who are not covered by digital networks. It uses AI to analyze satellite imagery and produce high-resolution population density maps to visualize connectivity based on the ITU Disaster Connectivity Map.

Background

AI is mentioned as one of the outputs of Pillar 3 in the EW4All Executive Action Plan, launched in November 2022: “Leverage artificial intelligence to support the development of 'client' profiles and scale the dissemination of action alerts." AI is also featured under Pillar 1's strategic outcome seven on Innovation for Risk Knowledge; however, developments in AI provide opportunities to transform the practice of disaster management and support the implementation of all Pillars in the Early Warning System (EWS) value chain.

For example, within the context of Disaster Risk Knowledge (EW4All Pillar 1), AI can be leveraged to contextualize disaster risk information comprehensively to facilitate well-informed and equitable decision-making. AI also holds the capability to enhance the capacity for Detection, Observations, Monitoring, Analysis, ​and Forecasting of Hazards (EW4All Pillar 2). Warning Dissemination and Communication (EW4All Pillar 3) will see AI optimize information delivery with personalized "client" profiles, ensuring timely, comprehensible, and actionable insights. In terms of Preparedness and Response Capabilities (EW4All Pillar 4), AI can offer new information and communication resources to help people respond to warnings.

It is essential to recognize the potential risks associated with the integration of AI in the EW4All Initiative. These risks encompass issues such as bias and fairness, privacy concerns, reliability, accountability, dependency and resilience, and the potential for unintended consequences. However, these risks can be effectively mitigated through careful design and the implementation of well-defined rules and protocols. By proactively addressing these challenges, it is possible to ensure that the benefits of AI are harnessed while upholding ethical standards and safeguarding the integrity of the EW4All Initiative.

The potential of AI to accelerate processes and solve problems is immense. The use of AI in the international community is still in development and the Secretary General of the United Nations is now convening a multi-stakeholder High-Level Advisory Body for Artificial Intelligence that will frame much of the United Nations' approach to this area of work.

Objectives of AI sub-group


The AI sub-group will specifically focus on adding structure to the application of AI to support the attainment of the EW4All Initiative objectives. The recommendations of this sub-group will be geared toward achieving the EW4All Executive Action Plan.

The key objectives of the AI sub-group are to:

AI Solutions for Early Warnings for All Initiative

AI Solutions for EW4All banner

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Discover insights and innovations from the AI Sub-Group of the EW4All Initiative. This space showcases expert presentations from organizations and researchers driving advancements in AI, data science, and disaster risk management to enhance global early warning systems.

Learn about the AI solutions for EW4All here.​


Key Partners


The key partners and organizations of the AI sub-group are:​

Collaboration with the Global Initiative


T
his 
Information Note details the collaboration between the Global Initiative on “Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI” and the AI for Early Warnings for All (EW4All) sub-group.