A nonprofit organization will start distributing money to households heavily impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton by pinpointing areas with significant storm damage using artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit, GiveDirectly, uses Google-developed AI to find areas with high concentrations of poverty and storm damage. Then, they invite people in those areas to enroll in the program. According to ABC News, a Google team uses its machine-based learning tool to narrow down the worst-hit areas by comparing pre- and post-disaster aerial photos.

GiveDirectly uses another Google AI tool to compare those findings with poverty data and in this case, storm damage. It then sends the target areas to an app that invites users in those locations to enroll.

“It takes a year to almost 7-8 years before a person in the disaster neighborhood or an area actually gets the funding or relief support from the government,” said Rajiv Garg, an associate professor of information systems at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

“The Google data can help essentially identify these people, that are essentially people in need and lets provide them some support,” Garg added.

A senior program manager at GiveDirectly told ABC News its approach is meant to deliver aid in the most streamlined and dignified way possible. The nonprofit plans to send up to $1,500 to around 1,000 households in North Carolina and Florida.

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