Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0 Author-Name: Kensuke Molnar-Tanaka Author-Name: Kuo-Shih Shao Title: Using AI to measure disaster damage costs: Methodology and the example of the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake Abstract: As disasters grow in frequency and intensity, the opportunities to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) to disaster risk reduction are becoming increasingly prominent. This paper discusses various AI-based approaches including crowdsourcing, Internet of Things, aerial imagery, videos from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as airborne and terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). It focuses on the use of AI for disaster damage cost estimation and examines the methodological aspect of measuring disaster costs with AI- and satellite imagery-based analysis, using the specific example of the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake. Classification-JEL: O33; Q54; O53 Keywords: AI, Artificial intelligence, Big data, disaster cost assessment, disaster response, Indonesia, satellite imagery, Southeast Asia, Sulawesi earthquake Creation-Date: 2025-06-27 Number: 355 Handle: RePEc:oec:devaaa:355-EN