Google expands its flood forecasting initiative in India

For the last few years, whatever new apps, product, services Google has introduced, at the heart of it has been Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). Earlier this year, the tech giant revealed that it had been using AI and ML to predict floods with greater accuracy. Yossi Matias, vice president for search, engineering and AI research, Google, spoke to The Times of India-Gadgets Now about this new initiative.
Part of Google’s Crisis tech programme, the company got into this initiative and picked floods as one of the main focus areas. Matias said that over 6,000 fatalities happen because of floods almost every year. “20% of these are in India and the problem with floods is that it takes people by surprise,” he says.
In addition to that it has an incremental damage on safety, economic impact and people lose their property. The question Google asked itself was how could they help in giving better advanced warnings, explains Matias.