No, AI isn't answering all of New Orleans' 911 calls
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
A recent news headline reported that New Orleans is replacing its human 911 dispatchers with AI.
Why it matters: It's not true, Orleans Parish Communication District executive director Karl Fasold says, and it pushed staff to go on the offensive this week to counter fears that someone won't answer an emergency call.
The latest: The newspaper, the Shreveport Times, has since updated and corrected the story, but not before national media picked up the thread.
- The New York Post, Fox and Newsweek were among outlets that ran versions similar to the original.
- That version, according to a screenshot OPCD shared with Axios, was headlined "New Orleans will use AI to answer 911 calls instead of a human."
Reality check: OPCD is using AI to assist with some 911 calls, Fasold says, but the story oversimplified how it assists human dispatchers.
- The tool is only used when people call within 200 meters of an already-reported vehicle crash, according to an OPCD explainer, and only if all human dispatchers are already on calls.
- An AI agent only responds to those callers to ask whether they're calling about that vehicle crash. If the caller says anything in any language besides "yes," then they are routed immediately back to a human dispatcher.
Zoom in: OPCD was the nation's first emergency call center to start using AI for 911 calls, and "we're very proud of that," Fasold says, but its use remains in that limited capacity.
- "We're not looking to replace people with computers," he adds.
The big picture: The reaction over the inaccurate original story speaks to fears over the rapidly evolving technology, and how those who use it — even in promotional ads — can face swift backlash.
- The original reports, Fasold says, prompted concerned New Orleanians to call City Council members and Mayor Helena Moreno's office. They, in turn, reached out to Fasold's team.
What we're watching: OPCD also manages New Orleans' 311 call center, and the department is working on an AI tool to answer those calls, about half of which are information requests, Fasold says.
- "We will not hesitate on the non-emergency side to use an AI because if it messes up, it's not a tragedy, it's an inconvenience," Fasold says. "But on the 911 side, if an AI was handling something and it messed up, someone could die ... and we're never going to take that chance."