Emergency communications officials in New Orleans are exploring the use of artificial intelligence to help manage high call volumes and reduce pressure on human dispatchers.
The Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD) has already introduced AI technology for its 311 non-emergency service, where the system can respond to frequently asked questions and provide information without requiring assistance from a human operator.
According to reports, around half of 311 callers seek information that the AI system has already been trained to provide.
Officials are now evaluating an AI Emergency Call Triage system designed to assist with 911 calls. Rather than independently handling emergencies, the technology assesses incoming calls and helps route them to the appropriate service.
Callers may initially interact with an AI agent that asks whether they are reporting a particular type of incident. If the system cannot obtain sufficient information or determines that human intervention is required, relevant details are transferred to a human dispatcher.
The technology is intended to reduce workloads and improve response times while ensuring emergency situations continue to receive human attention.
However, the growing use of AI in emergency communications has also raised concerns about accuracy and potential bias. Critics warn that automated systems could struggle to understand certain accents, speech patterns or vocal characteristics, potentially affecting how critical information is interpreted.
Officials are evaluating the technology as emergency services increasingly consider AI-based tools to support, rather than replace, human call handlers.