Spectee extends free AI crisis platform trial in Philippines until May
Tokyo-based technology firm Spectee Inc. plans to extend free access to its artificial intelligence-driven (AI) crisis management platform in the Philippines through May, as the company prepares to transition to a commercial model in the country.
The initiative, backed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), allows local authorities to monitor real-time incidents ranging from traffic accidents to landslides.
Satoshi Negoro, Spectee chief operating officer, said JICA provides the financial backing for the current rollout, which first launched in the Philippine market in August last year.
“JICA is supporting us financially,” he told Manila Bulletin on the sidelines of the Second Forum on Local Governance and Development on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Spectee Pro is a cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) crisis management system that aggregates real-time information on ongoing incidents from open sources.
“We will continue improving because this is on cloud. This is not an application you install,” he said. “So, on backside, we are continuing improving our system daily basis,” he added.
While the service is accessible to all users, Negoro said the “free trial” will end in May as the company prepares to shift to a commercial model.
“This is free trial accounts. They are using this for free now. And this free trial is until May this year. So, we have 4 months. After that, we have to launch this as a business,” he added.
Negoro explained that the platform gathers and analyzes data from social media and other publicly available sources to help authorities monitor unfolding events.
He said the platform compiles crisis-related information from social media, enabling local government units (LGUs) and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (DRRMOs) to monitor incidents in real time.
“So, from social media, we are collecting all the information about the crisis. So, LGUs and the DRRMO can use this to know, detect what is happening just right now,” he said.
He cited traffic accidents and landslides in Leyte as examples of incidents that can be tracked through the system.
In August last year, Spectee, in partnership with JICA and the DICT, launched the Philippine version of its Spectee Pro system.
The system uses AI to analyze data from social media posts, meteorological measurements, and CCTV footage to provide an immediate report about an incident as it is happening and the response needed.
With the Philippines being one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, combined with its high smartphone penetration and social media usage, it is the ideal environment for quick disaster analysis.