posted in Technology
New Orleans will use AI to answer 911 calls instead of a human
www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/louisiana/2026/07/28/is-new-orleans-using-ai-to-answer-911-calls-instead-of-human-dispatchers-impacts-emergencies-crime/91065014007/
Shreveport TimesNew Orleans will use AI to answer 911 calls instead of a humanNew Orleans is using AI to answer 911 calls instead of human dispatchers. What does this mean for crime and emergency response?
Replying to @sanitation@lemmy.today
Everyone should read before reacting:
This is intended to handle the increase of calls that are related to one incident, so callers get automatically routed to an AI agent who asks if they are calling regarding the incident. If the answer is yes, then callers can receive information or updates, and if it’s no, then the callers are transferred to a human.
This makes sense. A big thing happens that you are aware of. Geolocated calls from that area flood in. An operator, who could be getting useful info, has to handle a flood of “Guess what I just saw!”
Note that I think they should spend the money on more operators instead, but at least this seems like it has good guardrails.
Replying to @Fmstrat@lemmy.world
And if someone tries to call with new unreported information about an already reported incident? Decision tree or geolocation routes caller to recorded information. No way of knowing if information is important or not without talking to the caller first. Possible downside is far greater than possible benefits.
Edit Multiple calls about shots in neighborhood, if victim is last to call are they forced to listen to an update before triage allows transfer? No sir I don’t like it.
Maybe this is an improvement in this location, but as many have said a staffing issue.
Functional societies have costs, often those costs are far less than dysfunctional societies.