Researchers at the University of Houston will create a website with an AI-driven dashboard for the Florida food pantry. (Credit Sol Stock)
Key takeout
- Researchers at the University of Houston are developing AI-powered dashboards to help Florida food pantry coordinate disaster relief more efficiently and reduce food insecurity.
- Funded as part of a $1.2 million USDA grant, the system prioritizes urgent needs communicated via SMS and adapts to a variety of disaster scenarios beyond hurricanes.
- Lessons learned from this project not only support Florida's recovery efforts, but also strengthen disaster response capabilities in areas like Houston.
Families, especially those already vulnerable to food insecurity, can face difficulties in getting food in the aftermath of natural disasters. Researchers at the University of Houston aim to use artificial intelligence to develop online resources for food pantries, streamline stakeholder collaboration, and distribute resources to families in need.
The USDA's National Food and Agriculture Institute announced on June 18 that it awarded nearly $1.2 million to UH and three other agencies to address disaster response concerns after Hurricane Helen and Milton, which hit Florida last fall.
With $300,000 in funding, UH researchers will create a website with an AI-driven dashboard for the Florida food pantry.
“Our team is directly building on the experience we gained from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. We hope that the lessons we learned in Florida will strengthen our disaster response capabilities in Houston's hometown.”
“We hope that lessons learned in Florida will strengthen the disaster response capabilities of Houston's hometown.”
– Ioannis kakadiaris, Uh University of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
System development
This tool allows food pantry leaders to send SMS text messages of their needs following disasters. This allows the AI system to prioritize it on the dashboard.
“Our AI systems can automatically and efficiently process large volumes of status reports, enabling emergency coordinators to respond more quickly when demand surges are surged,” Kakadialis said.
Support ranges from food and water to first aid and other emergency supplies. The system can also be adapted to a variety of disaster scenarios.
“We want to be fully flexible in this tool, so if there is a fire or other kind of damage or disaster, it can handle a new situation,” said Marcus Sammer, application developer for the Kakadiaris Computational Biomedicine Lab project.
Why is it important?
The USDA report shows that 13.5% of US households were food insecurity at least once in 2023. This is an increase from 12.8% in 2022.
This tool is extremely important for Kakadialis teams as disasters often exacerbate food anxiety. A blackout, flood, wildfire, or tornado can replace families and deprive individuals of access to important resources such as food.
The project is based on two previous US National Science Foundation grants awarded to Cacadialis. He has received more than $2.2 million since 2021 to develop an AI-based food security system.
Throughout the one-year study period, the UH research team conducts research with stakeholders to provide a deeper understanding of current communication systems. A pilot version of the system will be available at the Florida Food Pantry by September for testing and feedback.
“Our job is to explore the challenges that need to be addressed using technology, and we hope that we or someone else will run with this technology,” Kakadialis said.
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