Megaworld taps AI to predict disasters in townships

Property giant Megaworld Corp. is opening a data science lab that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help the company rapidly respond to disasters and accidents across its 30 townships in the country.

The builder’s Township Analytics and Technology Lab, dubbed TAT Lab, will be located within its McKinley Hill township in Taguig City.

“Megaworld’s commitment to building next-generation townships that are safer, more secure, enjoyable and sustainable is evident with the establishment of our very own data science lab,” Francis Viernes, head of data analytics at Megaworld, said in a statement over the weekend.

“Our residents, locators, visitors, and partners stand to benefit from the various innovative programs to be spearheaded by TAT Lab, which are all aimed at creating better experiences in and around our townships,” he said.

According to Megaworld, one of the lab’s programs is an advanced accident detection system that allows the company to immediately respond to an incident.

“In many road incidents, the difference in response time between someone reporting a vehicular accident and an AI program detecting it, for example, may mean a matter of life and death,” Viernes said.

“This AI-powered accident detection system will be one of the several programs that we will be rolling out in Megaworld townships soon to make our developments more responsive to the future needs of our communities,” he added.

The lab will also have weather analytics and monitoring systems capable of sending out advisories to people in specific townships.

It has a command center, which the company said was “capable of monitoring and consolidating situation reports across all of Megaworld’s townships nationwide.”

—Miguel R. Camus INQ