The Winnipeg Police Service is expanding its use of an AI-powered voice assistant for non-emergency calls starting next week. The system, which has been tested in limited time slots for several months, is designed to understand natural speech and guide callers, aiming to reduce wait times and ease pressure on staff. This initiative is part of Mayor Scott Gillingham's 2024 challenge to explore AI for city services, with potential for 24/7 availability if successful.
Winnipeg police expanding use of artificial intelligence for non-emergency calls
Winnipeg
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️The Winnipeg Police Service is expanding its use of an AI-powered voice assistant for non-emergency calls starting next week. The system, which has been tested in limited time slots for several months, is designed to understand natural speech and guide callers, aiming to reduce wait times and ease pressure on staff. This initiative is part of Mayor Scott Gillingham's 2024 challenge to explore AI for city services, with potential for 24/7 availability if successful.
Trending- 1 2024: Mayor Scott Gillingham launched a challenge for departments to explore AI for city services
- 2 Past few months: AI system tested in limited time slots
- 3 Starting next week: AI system will expand to several hours each day
- Reduced wait times for non-emergency calls
- Eased pressure on Winnipeg Police Service staff
- Emergency operators can focus on urgent calls
- Potential for 24/7 AI availability in the future
What: The Winnipeg Police Service is expanding its use of an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice assistant to handle non-emergency calls.
When: Starting next week (expansion of AI use). The system has been tested over the past few months. Mayor Scott Gillingham's challenge was in 2024.
Where: Winnipeg Police Service, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Why: The expansion aims to reduce wait times for non-emergency calls (which exceed 900 daily) and alleviate pressure on staff, allowing emergency operators to focus on urgent calls. It is also part of a broader city initiative to improve services using AI.
How: An AI-powered voice assistant will answer non-emergency calls, using natural speech understanding to guide callers to the appropriate help. The system has undergone limited testing and will now be expanded to several hours each day.