A scourge of climate change-caused disasters has federal, state and local officials scrambling to figure out how to use technology to more effectively respond. During the calamitous Southern California fires, artificial intelligence (AI) and drones were deployed to help contain the blaze and keep residents out of harm’s way.
But the triage response was piecemeal and lacked coordination, as many disaster efforts often are.
On Friday, NTT Data and Vantiq unveiled a partnership to change all that. The companies said they are integrating advanced AI capabilities into D-Resilio, NTT DATA’s disaster information coordination platform, beginning in April.
The AI integration is designed to improve real-time situational awareness and optimize emergency response strategies in what Vantiq executives call a $1 trillion market.
A “Digital Timeline” feature, for example, enables emergency managers to monitor unfolding disaster events and receive AI-driven recommendations on the best course of action based on the latest weather conditions, evacuation traffic and lost cellular service. For now, managers are furiously trying to transform disaster response plans from formulaic, pre-written documents on the fly.
Vantiq’s real-time generative AI platform detects and processes real-time environmental changes, continuously updating emergency timelines; provides data-driven action recommendations, reducing reliance on manual decision-making; and optimizes future response strategies using AI-powered learning from previous disasters, the company said.
“This is just the beginning. Generative AI will automate the world as never before, and we’ll have a much better handle on making recommendations to humans to cope with hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, and health crisis,” Vantiq CEO Marty Sprinzen said in an interview. “Every delay costs lives. D-Resilio proves that AI-powered intelligence can turn reactive crisis management into real-time, proactive response — enabling faster, smarter decisions when they matter most. We are building a platform on GenAI steroids.”
Sprinzen said real-time intelligence is critical to anticipate crises, act instantly and save lives at scale. “That future of public safety isn’t hypothetical — it needs to happen today,” he added. “People are terrified at what’s happening by the minute. They want instant guidance and advice.”
What is happening today in terms of public safety, he warned, isn’t good enough as climate change events intensify in speed and size. The fires that ravaged Southern California last month were especially difficult to contain and extinguish because of screaming winds and dry conditions.
“There was no integrated approach in assessing cellular technology, satellites, sensors, and other inputs,” Sprinzen said. “Officials in many situations are working off of pre-written documents based on generic conditions. We are bringing real-time analysis of all data and factors such as weather so we know where the fire is going and get people out of there.”
