Roadmap Toward Responsible AI in Crisis Resilience and Management

Abstract

Using novel data and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in crisis resilience and management is increasingly prominent. AI technologies have broad applications, from detecting damages to prioritizing assistance, and have increasingly supported human decision-making. Understanding how AI amplifies or diminishes specific values and how responsible AI practices and governance can mitigate harmful outcomes and protect vulnerable populations is critical. This study presents a responsible AI roadmap embedded in the Crisis Information Management Circle. Through three focus groups with participants from diverse organizations and sectors and a literature review, we develop six propositions addressing important challenges and considerations in crisis resilience and management. Our roadmap covers a broad spectrum of interwoven challenges and considerations on collecting, analyzing, sharing, and using information. We discuss principles including equity, fairness, explainability, transparency, accountability, privacy, security, inter-organizational coordination, and public engagement. Through examining issues around AI systems for crisis management, we dissect the inherent complexities of information management, governance, and decision-making in crises and highlight the urgency of responsible AI research and practice. The ideas presented in this paper are among the first attempts to establish a roadmap for actors, including researchers, governments, and practitioners, to address important considerations for responsible AI in crisis resilience and management.