Embracing AI: Revolutionising Workflows and Enriching Experiences

It’s no secret that here at iwGROUP, we’re a big fan of AI and all things automation. Outsourcing mundane tasks to an algorithm capable of guided decision-making that can adapt and improve is a powerful business resource. It frees up human workers for more innovative & creative tasks, which adds value to and enriches client and user experience. iwGROUP are not alone in pushing the boundaries of this powerful tool. Public sector organisations, military and Governments are waking up to the idea that AI can make life easier and safer.

Harnessing AI for Enhanced Disaster Response and Early Warning Systems

It’s also no secret that global weather has been a bit de-stabilised of late. Freak weather is becoming far more common, therefore culminating in natural disasters. Far beyond the intensity and frequency we’ve been used to in normal life, this has put increased pressure on local emergency services. Rapid response to these disasters needs to be exactly that – rapid. Anything less than that costs lives.

As we’ve seen in Hawaii, the lack of warning for the emergency services and local population is having devastating effects. Evacuation orders are not being given until people are already in the middle of a disaster. Current warning systems are reliant on manual intervention, which introduces margins for error and opportunities for hesitance.  An AI based system could feasibly eradicate this. Using AI recognition and based on parameters of certainty, a system could either escalate an alert all the way to mobilisation and evacuation warnings.  This can also prompt the relevant person(s) to do a manual check before escalating manually. Having this system built into public CCTV networks (which exist in high numbers already in most countries) makes this a relatively simple add on.

In fact, such a solution is already being investigated in California. Like Hawaii, they have experienced seasonal wildfires, which peaked intensely through freak heatwave events; something become far more common globally.

AI – Potential v pitfalls

AI is often associated as something to be wary of; it’s the virtual monster that will ‘steal jobs’ or ‘misappropriate data’. I certainly agree it’s a technology that needs to be managed and implemented correctly. However, its potential uses to benefit humanity are irrefutable.

Chris Burfield, Joint CEO, iwGROUP