Today in Bangkok, we’re bringing together 50 disaster management leaders from across Southeast and South Asia for our inaugural AI Jam for Disaster Management professionals, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (APDC), and DataKind.
The question guiding this initiative is simple, but urgent: _How can AI help governments and nonprofits respond faster and more effectively when it matters most?_
Participants come from 13 countries—Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam—representing government agencies, multilateral organizations and non-profits. Many are directly involved in disaster response on the ground, coordinating information, supporting affected communities, and making time-critical decisions.
This effort also builds on the expansion of our OpenAI for Countries Program(opens in a new window) announced at Davos. At its core, this work is about helping organizations move beyond interest in AI and into real-world applications, embedding it into the operational challenges they face every day.
## Responding to growing disaster risks in Asia
Disaster response teams often operate in resource-constrained environments, working with fragmented data, manual processes and limited infrastructure. These constraints can slow coordination and delay critical decisions, especially in fast-moving situations where timely information is essential. Many teams are now exploring how AI can better support these workflows.
That urgency is only growing. In the second half of last year, a series of typhoons and severe storms across South and Southeast Asia disrupted communities and stretched disaster response systems to their limits. Asia remains the world’s most disaster-prone region, accounting for an estimated 75% of people affected by disasters globally. The World Bank estimates disasters have cost ASEAN countries more than $11 billion in previous years.
In these moments, we’re also seeing a shift in how people seek support. During Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka, internal data showed a 17× increase in cyclone-related messages on ChatGPT, highlighting how AI is already being used to access information and guidance during crises. During Cyclone Senyar in November 2025, Thailand saw similar AI usage surges, with message volume jumping 3.2× compared to the months prior. This points to a clear opportunity to integrate AI more directly into how response teams gather information, make decisions, and communicate during emergencies.
## Building practical AI solutions
This is what our Jam focused on. In today’s session, participants worked side by side with OpenAI mentors to find practical ways AI can support their daily work.Rather than starting from scratch, they explored building custom GPTs and reusable workflows they can apply in different situations—from situation reporting to needs assessment and public communication. The sessions also emphasized the importance of responsible use and building institutional trust in adopting AI technologies.
_“_ _This session is aimed at c_ _losing the gap between what AI can do and how it’s actually used in the field. Across Asia, there’s strong momentum and interest in AI, but the real opportunity is turning that into practical capability. By working directly with disaster-response professionals, we can ensure these tools are useful, accessible, and grounded in real-world needs.”_
_—Sandy Kunvatanagarn, Head of Public Policy at OpenAI_
_“Equipping the people closest to communities with the knowledge and skills to harness the power of digital tools and emerging technologies like AI is one of the most powerful investments we can make in disaster preparedness and response. We're proud to bring together partners across the region and to see it translate into tools that can be put to work right away.”_
_—Dr. Valerie Nkamgang Bemo, Deputy Director, Emergency Response at the Gates Foundation_
_“AI is opening new possibilities for how we understand and respond to disasters. ADPC integrates AI into geospatial tools and risk analytics to transform satellite and earth observation data into actionable insights. AI Skills Jam could improve AI literacy and empower people to find solutions to disaster challenges._
_We can combine AI tools with regional expertise and partnerships to strengthen early warning systems, improve risk mapping, and support faster, more informed decision-making for communities and governments across the region.”_
_—Mr. Aslam Perwaiz, ADPC Executive Director_
Together with our partners, we’re exploring a second phase in the coming months, focused on pilot deployments and deeper technical collaboration with participating organizations across the region. We look forward to continuing this work, building practical tools that help communities prepare for and respond to disasters more effectively.
_1_Source(opens in a new window): Humanitarian Action, Dec 2025
2Source(opens in a new window), The World Bank, Feb 2026
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