The researchers at the Texas A&M Superfund Research Center are investigating the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to engage with communities. They have developed a prototype AI chatbot named MyEcoReporter aimed at reporting environmental issues, thereby simplifying the process for individuals and community organizations to notify authorities about possible threats.
“The Superfund Center is dedicated to creating tools and models to address chemical pollution following disasters and aiding affected communities,” stated Dr. Weihsueh Chiu, the deputy director of the center and a professor in the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology (VTPP) at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
“Many of the communities we collaborate with are located near industrial sites that may experience accidents or unintentional chemical leaks, particularly during or after natural calamities,” he explained. “However, it can be challenging for ordinary community members to navigate websites to find online forms or contact numbers, especially when they only have their mobile devices. Given that most individuals are quite comfortable with texting, we decided to pair that capability with AI to explore a novel reporting method.”
Although the chatbot is presently in the prototype stage, its creators are optimistic that governmental agencies will recognize its worth and choose to develop their own complete versions.
In a recent publication in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, the researchers elaborate on the creation of MyEcoReporter, which is designed to streamline the reporting process by acting as a “mediator” for the public.
“We considered that if a chatbot could gather data through text messaging in an interactive manner, it could then compile that information and relay it to the appropriate authorities,” Chiu remarked.
As they worked on developing this tool, Chiu and the team acknowledged that people often have negative perceptions regarding interactions with bots.
“We aimed to avoid replicating the unfavorable experiences that most individuals encounter when they contact a pharmacy or airline that utilizes a voice chatbot,” he noted. “We conducted extensive testing to ensure that our approach prioritized collecting the necessary information to complete a form. We tried four different government forms just to understand the potential challenges we might face in assembling this system.”
Once the chatbot was created, the team invited students, faculty, and community members to test it by reporting fictitious hazards.
“We then presented it to various state and county officials and even to a group of state risk assessors,” Chiu remarked. “We received considerable positive feedback on the concept, so we are hopeful that authorities will choose to implement it soon.
“Fortunately, it’s not an initiative that requires millions of dollars for development; it’s primarily just an intermediary system for collecting information that agencies are already interested in gathering, enhancing the accessibility of reporting,” he said.
Also participating in this initiative were Texas A&M faculty members from the School of Public Health and the College of Architecture.
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