'Curious Conversations' podcast: Shalini Misra talks about AI and emergency management
Shalini Misra joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about how artificial intelligence (AI) might be used in the field of emergency management. She shared some of the different ways AI is currently being used and the concerns she’s heard from emergency managers. Misra also talks about the steps she believes will be necessary for the technology to reach its full potential in this field.
About Misra
Shalini Misra is an associate professor of urban affairs and planning in the School of Public and International Affairs, which is located in the Virginia Tech Research Center — Arlington. She is also an administrative fellow in the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment. Misra’s research interests include the social, psychological, and health implications of the Internet and digital communication technologies, as well as public interest technology, its design and deployment, and the governance of digital technologies.
Takeaways
Emergency managers show more skepticism towards AI than does the general public and have concerns about its ability to factor the public interest into decision making.
Emergency managers seem less concerned with AI completely replacing them than creating a dependency that might whittle away at human skills and competencies over time.
Implementation of AI tools will likely raise questions about accountability and transparency, and building trust with the public will be a critical factor in its success.
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About the podcast
"Curious Conversations" is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Travis Williams, assistant director of marketing and communications for the Office of Research and Innovation, university researchers share their expertise and motivations as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures. New episodes are shared each Tuesday.
