HAEN: AI Agent for City-Scale Disaster Management

Three questions to the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
From a UX perspective, the challenge was threefold. First, we were designing for a highly stressful, time-sensitive environment where users must make life-saving decisions within seconds. Second, we had to serve two distinct user groups: government officials, who need clarity and simplicity to act quickly under pressure, but also require access to complex data for informed decisions; and residents, including elderly or non-native speakers, who need a versatile, multilingual AI agent to understand alerts and request help. Third, the AI system had to feel trustworthy—offering actionable, protocol-aligned guidance without overwhelming users in critical moments.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
My personal highlight was during usability testing, when residents from different cultural and language backgrounds were able to interact with the AI agent in their native language, ask questions, and even trigger evacuation alerts. That moment demonstrated the true scalability and life-saving potential of our design. It was deeply moving to see people feel seen, supported, and empowered in a simulated crisis. The low point came earlier, when we realized just how preventable the Valencia disaster had been. Reading quotes like “the alert came too late” reinforced the urgency and responsibility behind our design decisions.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
In five years, I hope to see a world where AI-powered systems like HAEN are part of the public safety fabric—supporting faster, fairer, and more coordinated responses to crises. This project represents a vision for how technology can amplify human decision-making in moments that matter most. Personally, I aim to continue designing responsible AI experiences that tackle urgent societal challenges—bridging innovation, ethics, and inclusivity to shape systems that genuinely improve lives.