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Tectonic shift in urban disaster response:
How GeoAI enables effective response when disaster strikes cities.
fAIr is an open-source, AI-assisted mapping initiative for disaster response provided by the
Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT). It works with satellite and aerial imagery to use AI for
building footprints, density estimates, and damage assessments in cities - all as open code and
open data. Crucially, human validation is built in through fAIrswipe, where volunteers verify AI
predictions before they reach responders.
This proved critical in the June 2026 Venezuela earthquake. Within 24 hours, using GeoAI to
estimate building density and damage layers across Caracas and La Guaira, areas missing most
open map data are identified. Volunteers validated each prediction to ensure hallucinations were
addressed, and the open data was used by people on ground to plan aid and recovery.
Presenter:
Kshitij Sharma: Senior AI Engineer, Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team
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