Disasters such as floods, war, epidemics and terrorist attacks pose a threat worldwide. Effective crisis management and prevention are therefore becoming increasingly important. For effective crisis management, it is necessary, among other things, to identify dangers early on, to warn those affected in good time, to take appropriate measures and to adapt them as the crisis progresses. Authorities and organizations with security tasks as well as the population use various information technologies to get a realistic picture of the situation on site and to make decisions. This raises the question of how novel technologies, in particular artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), can effectively support crisis management.
Complex data situation in crisis situations
During a disaster, huge amounts of data are generated through remote and social sensing (e.g. drone and satellite images, social media data). In order to be able to evaluate this large amount of data and use it as a basis for complex decisions, AI/ML applications for crisis management are increasingly being developed and used. The information obtained can help to identify urgent needs on site, to set priorities and to avoid unnecessary operations - but only if it is processed in a target-oriented manner.
Effective use of artificial intelligence
In her research work, Diana Fischer-Preßler will therefore examine which AI/ML applications have the potential to support crisis management effectively and sustainably. She will deal with the conditions under which the approaches can be used to contribute to improving situational awareness. She looks at the organizational and practical obstacles in crisis management and examines how these can be overcome and AI/ML applications for crisis management can be effectively designed.
