AI enables GiveDirectly to deliver $1,000 cash payments to hurricane-affected families in North Carolina and Florida

A philanthropic organization, GiveDirectly, is using AI to provide $1,000 cash payments to about 1,000 low-income households affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in North Carolina and Florida. Payments will begin this week through a smartphone app. The organization identifies eligible households by analyzing satellite imagery of storm damage and overlaying it with poverty data. Recipients will be notified via the Propel app, which is commonly used for managing food assistance benefits. GiveDirectly is also raising funds for a second round of aid and plans to implement disaster preparedness programs. These initiatives aim to help families better prepare for future hurricanes and other climate-related disasters.