Alexa? Call 911. Siri? Answer 911. Ambulance … drive thyself.
Storylines created around artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning often paint dystopian pictures of the end of society; once the machines take over, they say, humanity is doomed.
The reality is far more promising, though. Recent advances in machine learning technology and their applications are creating new opportunities for resource-challenged public safety answering points (PSAPs). The question, however, comes down to buy-in. Are public safety agencies comfortable bringing AI into their workflow?
Research suggests the time is right. The International Data Corporation (IDC) lists assistive AI as a key driving trend in public safety. Additionally, a recent article published by the U.S. Department of Justice cites four areas in which AI can complement law enforcement efforts: video and image analysis, DNA analysis, gunshot detection, and crime forecasting.
AI is particularly good at spotting patterns and identifying anomalies. Algorithms have been developed to identify financial crimes (e.g., credit card theft and other fraud) and mitigate the sale of counterfeit goods by comparing legitimate items with questionable counterparts at a microscopic level.
Another focal area is situational awareness and context that public safety agencies can leverage to provide important information to law enforcement in dangerous situations. Robotics and drones can function as a second or third set of “eyes,” and algorithms designed for scene understanding can layer additional context relevant to the incident.
Global adoption
A number of AI initiatives are already well underway worldwide. In Denmark, for example, an AI-based program has been created that uses speech-recognition software to identify out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and help responders dispatch emergency services more quickly. Studies found when dispatchers used the program, the probable diagnosis was made more accurately and rapidly than without the AI assistance.
Closer to home, researchers in the United States are partnering with their local police departments to create an automated warrant service triage tool in which algorithms analyze warrant records and determine both the risk of re-offending and the length of time before that offense might take place for offenders whose warrants go unserved.
“Smarter” public safety
Hexagon recognizes the changing nature of police work and has been developing new solutions as part of the HxGN OnCall next-generation public safety portfolio.
Hexagon’s new assistive AI tool, HxGN OnCall® Dispatch | Smart Advisor, helps PSAPs detect unfolding complex emergencies sooner, be they large, rapid-onset events, repeat offenses, or linked incidents. The technology fills blind spots by using AI and machine learning to monitor calls for service in real-time to detect trends, anomalies, and similarities and then alerts decision-makers with crucial insights.
With earlier detection and action, public safety agencies can contain incidents and speed recovery while reducing impacts on communities, levels of service, resources, and staff well-being. With Smart Advisor, the user is always in control; no decision or response is automated.
Smart Advisor is built to:
- Detect more complex connections between more events earlier than CAD contextual searches and personal knowledge alone.
- Support continual, autonomous assessment that is more efficient, effective, and scalable than manual monitoring of video, alarms, and common operating pictures (COPs).
- Share results immediately by avoiding the latency of external analytics.
- Offer transparency in how conclusions are reached, with no black-box processes.
Interested in learning more about HxGN OnCall Dispatch | Smart Advisor? Click here to learn more.
