Technology

Except that could be done without AI. Just have a recording that says "we are aware of ... taking place near you, are you calling about this ? “, then answer with yes/no.

No need for bullshit AI.

You don't need AI for that. Automated phone answering systems do exist, and can redirect people.

How many operators to handle say 100 calls in 5 minutes? Now imagine the cost to staff a small 911 center to ensure your can handle those calls 24/7. The money doesn't exist.

Butts in seats don't exist right now either. As long as the fancy ivr allows the caller to reach a human with minimal effort, this seems like a scary sounding but neat ~~assistant~~ solution to a problem without a real solution.

Even assuming perfect conditions - where the caller very clearly states what's happening and the AI agent understands everything properly - this is a waste of resources. Just hire more operators dawg. It's really not that complicated.

And then think about what happens outside of those perfect conditions. So pretty much most calls.

I love it.

All of the movies and novels warning of danger from AI, news of AI convincing people kill themselves, suggesting 'remedies' that would cause someone to die, or going wrong in some other way... and they decide it would be a great plan to have it answer emergency calls from people who could be in the process of being stabbed to death.

Why? Because it's cheaper than hiring enough people to do that job.

The nature of the job means that's very literally deciding that it's better for more people to die than to increase the budget for 911 operators.

Even more than this one instance, it's the same reason that AI is running pretty much everything and the streets are full of AI-powered robots when things go wrong in all of those movies and books. Because it's cheaper than paying a person to do it.

I can't think of any examples even in science fiction stories where the richest people in the world create AI and robotics and manage to automate pretty much all human labor in order to cut costs that end right there with "and then the super rich now in direct control of all production and society divided their wealth and power evenly among all humans and everyone lived happily ever after."

That's just to unrealistic, even for fiction.

This tech could be such a exciting break through, a step towards real artificial intelligence

No, not really lol.

The best analogy for this that I've heard is that it's like saying elevators are a step towards teleporters. Calling it "intelligence" is a marketing coup. It is not intelligence, artificial or otherwise.

But universal healthcare leads to death panels or something.....

You're not wrong. Swatting in that area is going to be so easy. United States police force has already shown for years now that if AI says anything they'll just go with it and not question it. So if someone lives in the area and you want them 'dealt with' by the police, it's going to be very easy. And the police aren't going to look into it or hold themselves accountable. And the AI won't be questioned or removed. If this goes large scale you can just make an API... Don't like someone on twitch, well when you know it there will be an app for that...

It's also sensationalized. I guess the article's actual headline just isn't spicy enough:

New Orleans hoping limited AI use could speed response for emergencies