Arizona’s New AI System Is Going To Save Lives

I haven't exactly kept it a secret that I despise Artificial Intelligence. Its explosion into popular culture has seemingly just encouraged laziness in art, academia, and the workplace, and killed our critical thinking skills.

There are a select few applications that I believe are actually bringing a positive benefit to society, and Arizona has just added another use that will literally save thousands of lives.

AI Cameras

A few months ago, I'd read an article about an Artificial Intelligence that could predict when and where cancer cells would develop in patients. I saw this as one of the few ethical applications of AI, and now Arizona's following that up with a revolutionary program of their own.

The program, created by Arizona Public Service would implement AI into cameras that can detect smoke in the air, and immediately alert fire services to their exact location so the blaze can be handled.

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Arizona is Getting Healthier One Step at a Time

How Does This Program Help Arizona?

The main use for this program would be the detection and eradication of wildfires across the state. Cameras programed with the AI will be placed in high-risk areas across Arizona, and kept on a live feed 24/7, 365 on lookout for any plumes of smoke.

Each noted incident will immediately be sent to a human monitor, who will determine whether the smoke came from a wildfire, or just a campfire set by campers. This will help save hundreds of lives, both civilian and responder, and will likely become a staple of Arizona's wildfire prevention programs. With a historic drought ending, Arizona faces a massive wildfire season, and these new cameras will inevitably prevent hundreds of acres of potential destruction.

[ABC 15][The Harvard Gazette]