The new disaster frontier: AI in crises

This publication focuses on how crises now unfold at digital speeds across social media, news sites and video platforms, creating a dynamic where public sentiment often solidifies before official statements are even drafted. This phenomenon creates a “double-edged sword” for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). While social media provides critical real-time situational awareness, it simultaneously facilitates the rapid spread of unverified information.

Key takeaways of this publication, include:

• Crises now unfold simultaneously in the physical and digital domains, making the management of information just as critical as managing the disaster itself.
• AI offers powerful opportunities, but without trust, transparency and regional cooperation, it risks undermining rather than strengthening crisis response.
• ASEAN’s focus on leveraging AI for enhancing predictive analytics for disasters is insufficient; the region must broaden its vision to address information threats as well.