Artificial intelligence has been used for many things, especially in programs that need to analyze data on a large scale. In the medical field, it can even be used to diagnose patients. Los Angeles has found a different application for the technology, which it uses to predict homelessness in families.
AI to Predict Homelessness and Provide Aid
It's a hard truth to accept, but there are still millions if not billions of families on the brink of losing their homes, and the City of Angels is no exception. Back in 2023, California had more than 181,000 homeless people, which is a 30% increase from 2007.
Fortunately for some, there are programs and organizations that offer help whether it's financial assistance for rent or offer some form of stability. Such organizations include the Homelessness Prevention Unit within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, as per CNBC.
It uses a pilot program to determine whether an individual or a family is at risk of homelessness, and it does so with predictive AI. It has already helped almost 800 people and families since it was released in 2021. 86% of the assisted parties have retained permanent housing when they leave.
Associate Director of Homelessness Prevention at the Department of Health Services, Dana Vanderford said that participants have access to between $4,000 and $8,000, which comes from the American Rescue Plan Act.
"We often meet our clients within days of a loss of housing, or days after they've had a medical emergency. The timing with which we meet people feels critical," Vanderford expressed. One person who benefited from the program was Courtney Peterson, a single mom who had lost her job.
After being laid off, Peterson could no longer pay rent and tried to find aid, all of which she didn't manage to qualify for, that is until the predictive AI found her. She and her son received $8,000 in assistance, allowing them to cover rent, utilities, and basic needs while she figured something out.
The assistance goes on for four months, and the program will check in with participants after the sixth, 12th, and 18th-month mark, just to make sure that they do not require further assistance while they stabilize matters.
AI in Other Applications
The predictive capabilities of AI can be applied to other matters that could use early information for preparation. For instance, Google uses AI to predict floods seven days before they can happen, which provides ample time for preparation and evacuation.
As per the company's blog post, it can help around 60 million people who live in the affected areas. The AI forecasting model is now capable of sending 800,000 alerts to locations at risk, and Google continues to collaborate with academic researchers to improve the tool.
It has also seen an improvement over the years, especially since the AI tool was only able to provide forecasts 48 hours before disaster strikes. It bases predictions on historical events, river level readings, terrain, and elevation in specific areas.
