待翻译：New Orleans Deploys AI for 911 Calls–What Are Other Cities Doing?

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Newsweek is a Trust Project member New Orleans has become the first major U.S. city to publicly acknowledge the use of AI to help answer and triage certain 911 calls. It's a move that supporters say could reduce dispatcher overload and improve response times for life-threatening emergencies, but which critics warn could introduce new risks into one of the most important public safety systems. Other cities are already reported to be using AI in this context. How New Orleans Is Using AI The Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD), which handles emergency calls in New Orleans, has deployed an AI-powered system developed by emergency communications technology company Carbyne. The technology isn’t replacing human dispatchers. Instead, it’s being used to identify and handle duplicate reports of incidents that are already known to emergency services, particularly traffic accidents during rush hour. According to OPCD Executive Director Karl Fasold, dispatchers frequently receive dozens of calls about the same crash. Because 911 calls are generally answered in the order they arrive, multiple reports about a single incident can slow responses to unrelated emergencies such as heart attacks, shootings, or house fires. The AI system is designed to determine whether a caller is simply reporting an incident already logged in the system and, if so, free up dispatchers to focus on higher-priority emergencies. According to the International Business Times, officials say the technology was developed after identifying a recurring pattern of call surges tied to traffic accidents. The district reportedly worked with Carbyne to train the system using real 911 recordings and local terminology, including New Orleans street names and regional speech patterns. The deployment comes as emergency communications centers nationwide continue to grapple with staffing shortages. OPCD has said roughly one-third of its intake positions have remained unfilled, reflecting broader challenges across the 911 industry. Supporters Say It Could Save Time and Lives ... Supporters argue the technology could improve emergency response by ensuring urgent calls reach human dispatchers more quickly. According to Carbyne and local officials, a single traffic accident may generate dozens of reports, creating bottlenecks during busy periods. By handling many of those duplicate calls automatically, the system could reduce wait times for callers experiencing genuine emergencies. Advocates also point to chronic workforce shortages in emergency communications centers across the country. National research cited by OPCD indicates that many 911 centers are struggling to recruit and retain staff, creating pressure to find technological solutions that assist, rather than replace, human operators. Critics Warn of Potential Risks Not everyone is convinced that AI belongs in an emergency response situation, though. Critics argue that AI systems, particularly voice-based systems, can misunderstand callers, fail to recognize distress, or make incorrect assumptions in chaotic situations. Others question whether introducing AI creates another layer between citizens and trained emergency personnel at moments when seconds can be critical. Critics note that even advanced AI systems have documented limitations when interpreting spoken language, emotional cues, and rapidly changing situations. View this post on X What Other US Cities Are Doing New Orleans is not alone in exploring AI for emergency communications. Seattle has emerged as one of the most prominent examples. According to reports from The Seattle Times, the city began using AI technology on medical emergency calls in late 2023. The technology assists dispatchers by helping gather information and support call triage. However, the program drew scrutiny after reports that it had been implemented without extensive public discussion or formal city council approval. Cities in Washington state's Tri-Cities region have also deployed AI-assisted emergency communications technology to handle non-emergency public safety calls for the police or fire department. These systems are generally intended to support dispatch operations rather than replace human call takers. Atlanta has similarly been identified as a city integrating AI into portions of its emergency communications infrastructure. The city's 911 Communications Center uses the RapidSOS platform, which provides features including enhanced caller location, language translation, live video sharing, and text-based emergency communications, according to CBS News. Is It Working? The answer depends on who’s asked. Local officials and technology providers point to reduced dispatcher workloads and improved handling of duplicate accident reports as early signs the system is achieving its intended purpose. They argue that AI is functioning as a screening tool rather than a replacement for human judgment. According to Carbyne, the AI triaged more than 3,500 events during a 90-day period and reduced redundant calls by over 30 percent. The company also says the technology helped distressed callers reach human operators more quickly, with response times improving by an average of up to 40 seconds. However, there is still limited publicly available data on whether AI-assisted emergency dispatch improves response times, increases caller satisfaction, or leads to better outcomes during emergencies. Most deployments remain relatively recent, and independent evaluations are still scarce. As cities across the United States search for ways to address staffing shortages and growing call volumes, New Orleans is likely to become a closely watched test case. Whether AI becomes a standard feature of 911 systems nationwide may ultimately depend on whether officials can demonstrate that the technology improves efficiency without compromising safety. Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Ben Kelly and Robert Greenall Request Reprint & Licensing View Editorial & AI Guidelines