[40acres]

For one, it’s great to see startups tackling hard problems like this: generally I believe there is huge benefit and opportunity for startups in providing government services like this. It certainly helps to dispel the feeling that our brightest minds are working on ads.

Secondly, this really seems like the initial phases of product development and fit — agencies would be foolish to simply rely on a startup like this to coordinate 100% of disaster response, I’m sure FEMA has similar models. With startups, especially ones tackling more “serious” domains (for lack of a better word) I’m willing to have a longer leash and proceed with caution.

[ianburrell]

"One Concern’s earthquake simulations rely on FEMA’s free damage-prediction method known as P58".

It may not be AI, but combining data sources and predictions. Which is useful but not world changing.