SWIFT RESPONSE

AI Weather Balloons Could Speed Up Insurance Claims This Hurricane Season

The stratospheric balloons fly higher than airplanes, allowing them to map large disaster areas faster and cheaper than planes or drones.

Efforts to speed up insurance claims during this year’s hurricane season could get a boost from some flying robots attached to stratospheric balloons. A company called Near Space Labs builds and deploys autonomous devices with ultra-precise cameras and sensors that collect data from disaster areas. Called “Swift” robots, the devices fly even higher than airplanes and drones, allowing them to launch from afar and map large areas cheaper and faster. One Swift robot can capture as much information as 800,000 drones. Insurers can then use the data to price risk accurately, creating more competitive insurance plans and paying out claims faster. The company is also working on generative AI agents that will allow insurers to query the imagery generated by the Swift robots. For example, an agent could be asked to detect all of the tarps put up on roofs after a hurricane, providing a snapshot that helps large insurers understand exposure to a natural disaster. The goal is for homeowners in high-risk areas to keep their coverage and ensure their claims are paid, even as the insurance industry faces a crisis brought on by climate change.