In May 2023, just two months after its founding, Nuoc Solutions received a global partnership opportunity from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation provided a grant through its Catalyzing Equitable Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Global Challenges program, which focused on innovation that can improve global health and development outcomes and dramatically reduce global inequity. As a new nonprofit organization, we were thrilled to learn that we were among the 0.8% of applicants selected for this grant opportunity.
What is NướcGPT?
NướcGPT’s primary function is to help users like farmers and officials make more informed decisions about water management by providing verified information. When a user asks a question on the platform, NướcGPT searches its custom knowledge base on salt intrusion to provide answers that help farmers with their crop yields.
How NướcGPT Works
In September 2023, the team conducted phone interviews with 46 stakeholders, including farmers, small business owners, policymakers, and local experts, to understand their needs and collect over 150 key questions about salinity intrusion. This feedback guided the data collection and product development. An onsite testing phase took place in October 2023 in the Mekong Delta provinces of Hau Giang and Ben Tre, where 55 users provided feedback on the platform’s usability, accuracy, and helpfulness. While user satisfaction was generally positive, especially among younger users, areas for improvement were identified, such as the need for forecasting capabilities and more official cited information.
Key Findings
The app resonated with younger, tech-savvy users, but there is a need to simplify its use for older farmers who prefer clear and direct communication. During interviews, farmers expressed a strong need for future forecasts of salinity levels and highly localized information, supported by official sources. They also showed interest in broader topics, such as general weather and new agricultural methods beyond just salinity.
Knowledge Sharing
These key findings and NướcGPT’s innovative AI approach to the Mekong Delta’s salinity challenges were presented at the Applied Machine Learning Day in Switzerland in March 2024. The presentation showcased how NướcGPT aims to transform complex scientific data into actionable insights for the local community.
AI for Climate as a Valuable Solution
Because salinity intrusion is made worse by climate change impacts like sea-level rise and altered rainfall patterns, NướcGPT inherently addresses a critical part of climate change adaptation. NướcGPT was designed to translate complex scientific data into actionable insights in the local language and in a cost efficient manner. The chatbot’s ability to integrate a vast library of local information, from scientific reports to field studies, makes it a valuable technology for addressing climate change and mitigating its effects on people in rural communities.
The initial focus of NướcGPT is on managing salinity intrusion in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, but its capabilities and the identified user needs mean it could contribute to broader environmental warnings, including those related to weather events. The user studies showed a strong demand for future forecasts of salinity levels and general weather information, indicating a community need for proactive environmental data that could also extend to flood-related insights.