Artificial intelligence will assist in humanitarian demining of Ukrainian territory. The Ministry of Economy and the technological company Palantir, specializing in big data analytics, have signed a partnership agreement. The signing took place in London during a working visit to the United Kingdom by a Ukrainian delegation led by First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy Yulia Sviridenko.
"Humanitarian demining is the zero stage of Ukraine's recovery. Currently, 156,000 square kilometers of land are potentially contaminated, with over 6 million Ukrainians at risk. Therefore, accelerating humanitarian demining, particularly through cooperation with technological companies like Palantir, is an opportunity to save lives and expedite Ukraine's reconstruction," stated Yulia Sviridenko during the signing of the document.
In turn, the Executive Vice President of Palantir in the UK and Europe, Louis Mosley, emphasized that the signed agreement will help save the lives of Ukrainians and strengthen Ukraine's economy.
"Whether we're assisting brave Ukrainian defenders against Putin's aggression, supporting the relocation of their loved ones, or aiding the country's critical demining program, Palantir stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and its people," noted Louis Mosley.
The agreement contains specific provisions for cooperation in the following areas:
- Digitization of humanitarian demining operations, automation of processes outlined in the National Mine Action Strategy for the period up to 2033.
- Expansion of digital capabilities for coordinating clearance and land assessment, prioritizing regions, and risk management in mine action.
- Utilization of the Palantir Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) assistant for decision-making in mine action.
The platform will work with large databases formed by entities involved in mine action activities, starting from local government bodies, regional authorities, ministries, and agencies, and ending with mine action operators.
It is envisaged that the databases will contain both static information, such as assessment of the economic efficiency of agricultural land, proximity of contaminated areas to infrastructure, etc., as well as operational information, which will be regularly updated. This includes data from surveys conducted by the State Emergency Service, the State Special Transport Service, non-governmental operators, the quantity and condition of equipment, the presence of explosive ordnance disposal units in specific areas, and so on.
Thanks to the capabilities of Palantir AIP, the platform will analyze information and provide recommendations for process optimization. For example, it could advise on the most effective method for clearing a specific area - using new demining methods such as drones or traditional methods. The ultimate goal is to demine territories more quickly and at lower costs.
The pilot project of the platform was presented at the First International Donor Conference on Humanitarian Demining of Ukraine, which took place in Zagreb on October 11-12, 2023. Currently, the signed agreement marks a new stage in cooperation between the Ministry of Economy and Palantir.
