SENDAI – Tohoku University's International Research Institute of Disaster Science has started joint research project with SoftBank Group to develop generative artificial intelligence technology dedicated to disaster prevention.
The joint project aims to use AI to pass on memories and lessons from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster that struck the Tohoku region, the institute said Thursday.
In the research project, an AI model developed by SoftBank will learn from Tohoku University's disaster archives and tsunami simulation data. The new AI model will be developed over the next three years and is slated for testing in fiscal 2028.
The data to be learned by the new AI will be collected from storytellers and municipalities.
Shunichi Koshimura, who assumed the post of the institute's director on Wednesday, said that he believes it is crucial to ensure the continuity of handing down disaster lessons.
"We want to use digital technology to address the current situation where storytellers are aging and important materials are being lost," he said at a news conference Thursday.
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