{
  "id": 18352194,
  "title": "Researchers explore how AI could improve earthquake safety",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/researchers-explore-how-ai-could-improve-earthquake-safety",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-11-05T18:20:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-11-explore-ai-earthquake-safety.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Researchers at the University of East London have devised a novel framework for evaluating earthquake risks by incorporating artificial intelligence. Led by Dr. Jawed Qureshi, a senior lecturer in structural engineering, the study utilized recorded ground-motion data from the 1994 Northridge and 1995 Kobe earthquakes to assess a five-story reinforced concrete building's resilience. The model integrated four specialized engineering technologies to examine the interplay between soil conditions, ground shaking, and structural strength in a unified workflow. Traditionally, these factors are assessed separately, making it challenging to comprehend their collective impact on a building's performance during seismic events. The researchers introduced a framework dubbed proto-artificial general intelligence (Proto-AGI), which unifies these technologies under human supervision to offer a more comprehensive evaluation of structural risks. Dr. Qureshi explained that structural engineers have long recognized that buildings fail not in isolation but in relation to the ground beneath them and how the structure moves. Using the Northridge and Kobe earthquakes as test cases, the study demonstrated that while the Northridge earthquake exerted approximately 3.4 times the median seismic demand of the Kobe earthquake at the building's natural period, the difference in peak structural movement was only 1.32 times. This finding underscores that the relationship between ground shaking and structural movement is complex and influenced by various factors, including earthquake characteristics, soil conditions, and structural design. The research highlights the potential of AI-assisted technologies to enhance engineers' assessments of buildings and infrastructure, moving beyond isolated analyses to a more integrated approach. While the current study used limited data and required manual coordination, future research could expand on these findings by incorporating larger earthquake datasets, greater automation, and insights from building inspections and structural monitoring. Dr. Qureshi emphasized that the goal is not to replace engineering judgment with AI but to provide engineers with a clearer, more complete picture before they make decisions.",
  "summary": "Researchers at the University of East London (UEL) have developed a new framework for assessing earthquake risks, using AI-assisted technology to examine how soil conditions, ground shaking and structural strength influence a building's ability to withstand seismic activity.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}