A data scientist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo has launched a year-long project to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can help scientists, students, emergency managers, and the public better understand natural hazards such as volcanic activity, wildfires, tsunamis, and other disasters. The main idea of the project, named VULCAN-AI, is to use AI as a support tool for hazard intelligence and public communication.
“During a disaster, there is often a huge amount of information coming in at once: live camera feeds, satellite images, sensor readings, weather data, maps and scientific reports,” said Sukhwa Hong, 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo associate professor of and who specializes in AI for business analytics. “VULCAN-AI is designed to help organize that information and turn it into clear, plain-language summaries that people can understand.”
With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF)’蝉 throughout the next year, Hong plans to build and test the AI-agent system using live Hawaiʻi Island volcano feeds, environmental data, and example volcanic and wildfire scenarios.
He emphasizes that the goal of the project is not to replace scientists or official emergency alerts. Instead, the goal is to show how AI can responsibly support human experts by helping detect changes, organize information, and explain what is happening more clearly to the public.
“What excites me most is that this project shows a positive use of AI,” said Hong. “AI is often discussed as a threat, but when used carefully and responsibly, it can help communities, support science, improve emergency communication, respect local knowledge, and give students hands-on experience with technology that serves the public good.”
He plans to hire 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo students through NSF’蝉 undergraduate research program to work with him on AI testing, live-feed monitoring, data preparation, visualization and public communication.
—By Susan Enright, 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo Stories