Juan Caballero is Using AI to Build Resilient Homes

Extreme weather events uproot millions of people every year, leaving families homeless and livelihoods destroyed. What if AI could help change that?

Juan Caballero believes AI can make disaster preparedness accessible to those who need it most. He leads Build Change, a nonprofit committed to dismantling the systemic barriers that keep people from accessing resilient housing worldwide. Since 2004, Build Change has been addressing the challenges of rebuilding after disaster strikes. Today, he and his team are merging local capacity with AI innovation to help low-income and vulnerable communities not just recover more quickly, but build homes that can weather the storm ahead.

Their secret weapon? The Build Change Technical Assistance Platform (BCtap) is a digital assistant that provides on-demand guidance to local builders and homeowners. Whether communities are rebuilding after an earthquake or shoring up defenses before hurricane season, the offline-first tool serves as a trusted partner prepared to support users before, during, and after a crisis.

In this interview, Juan shares how Build Change is using AI to strengthen community resilience and optimize disaster response, the design features that enhance BCtap’s usability, and his optimism for an AI future that promotes solidarity, justice, and peace.

How did your journey inspire you to explore AI for humanity?

My experiences with Build Change have taken me all over the world. I’ve worked in communities that were intensely affected by disasters – from Haiti, where I first joined our team in rebuilding after the 2011 earthquakes, to Colombia, the Philippines, Turkiye, and, most recently, Mozambique, among many others. I've seen firsthand the immense challenges people face in rebuilding their homes and lives, as well as finding ways to protect themselves from the next storm or earthquake. It's a complex puzzle that encompasses everything from technical solutions and financing to policy and community engagement.

The process of building resilient housing is labor-intensive: it requires a lot of data, assessment, designs, and training. But the specific interventions are relatively simple. We know what kinds of upgrades will make a house more resilient against disaster. The local communities we work with know, based on their own experiences, what kinds of materials and structures withstand environmental pressures, because they’ve seen it with their own eyes.

At Build Change, we asked ourselves: how do we distill all of this information down to a concrete solution that can improve efficiency and accessibility for a greater number of homeowners in high-hazard environments? Technology can amplify and multiply quality technical assistance. It can support evaluation, design, and quality control, while making specialized knowledge available to a larger number of people at a fraction of the cost. AI can be the engineer in your hand, the consultant who speaks your language, or the trusted advisor who answers difficult questions and checks your solutions. The potential is huge, and we have a high level of optimism for the journey ahead.

How does Build Change leverage artificial intelligence to support local communities that are most vulnerable to natural disaster?

At Build Change, we've adopted an AI-ready, strategic approach to supporting communities at risk of disasters. Our first intervention in this area is a multilingual chatbot that we developed with the support of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. It’s integrated with the BCtap platform to directly assist builders and homeowners on the ground.

This chatbot enables us to democratize access to technical expertise for a greater number of homeowners. Available for use on mobile, the AI-integrated application provides specialized resources to communities, tailored to their unique needs.

We are currently piloting our chatbot in the Philippines to help homeowners, builders, and other key stakeholders make informed, proactive decisions and execute actionable home improvements to protect their lives and livelihoods. Looking ahead, we envision AI revolutionizing our work even further through integrations like climate risk modeling and geospatial data and analytics.

How has the user community contributed to the design features of BCtap and your unique approach to AI?

We’ve designed several features based on user feedback. I’ll highlight two: multi-user design and offline-first capabilities. Many different stakeholders use BCtap: engineers, architects, program administrators, microfinance loan officers, and even homeowners. Our objective for BCtap is to merge the expertise of both technical and non-technical personnel. Our multi-user design, in concert with our AI features, enables us to do that while optimizing different user experiences.

Second, our offline-first approach ensures that BCtap’s core functions and data are always available and fully operational on the user's device, regardless of network signal. This feature allows our partners to continue performing vital tasks in limited connectivity zones and without interruption. That level of accessibility is critical for not only ensuring a positive user experience but also enabling more inclusive participation in interventions that can improve lives.

What core values drive your unique vision for impact in an AI-driven future?

Our values and vision around AI are first and foremost rooted in Build Change’s core principles, which guide all aspects of our work. They include:

• Equality - we believe that everyone has the right to a disaster-resilient home;
• Technical excellence - we focus on bringing the best solutions that the design, construction, and technology worlds can offer to those in need;
• Curiosity - we always ask questions and meet people where they are;
• Urgency - we strive to innovate and scale efficiently, before another disaster strikes;
• Tenacity - we are committed to quality project delivery, especially when navigating complex environments; and
• Optimism - we know that change is possible, both in the context of AI and our vision for more resilient housing and an overall safer world.

Which visionary leaders, philosophies, or movements give you hope for a more human-centered AI future?

A Spanish saying comes to mind, which roughly translates to “In bad weather, put on a good face.” I think it speaks nicely to what we are trying to do at Build Change and, more generally, what I hope we can achieve for a human-centered AI future. Regardless of the context, I believe in showing up with optimism. I’m encouraged by any movement that’s grounded in that same optimism for a better future, especially in the face of challenges. AI has the power to improve our world by accelerating human development and flourishing, but only if we build it in a way that is ethical and grounded in a commitment to solidarity, peace, and justice for everyone.

What is your 7-word autobiography?

Builder. Honduran. Changemaker. Collaborator. Husband, son, father.