Time magazine has recognized California’s use of artificial intelligence to detect fires among its 200 best inventions of 2023.
The AI tool, developed in partnership between the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and UC San Diego’s AlertCalifornia network, has been trained by a machine learning model to detect smoke and other early fire indicators in order to alert local fire departments via text message.
The system gathers information from real-time video footage from AlertCalifornia’s network of more than 1,000 high-definition cameras stationed across the state’s forests. The tool also knows how to distinguish between smoke and other air particles, such as smog or mist.
According to Time, the system in its first two months correctly identified 77 fires before any 911 calls came in.
“The greatest success stories of this (system) are the fires you never hear about,” Falco Kuester, co-principal investigator for AlertCalifornia, told Time.
“California is fighting fires smarter, combining cutting-edge technology with a world-class firefighting force – all to better protect our communities,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Tuesday.
The tool was honored alongside OpenAI’s revolutionary GPT-4 chatbot, which outperformed 90 percent of state bar exam takers; and Adobe Photoshop’s new generative AI features, which allow users to fill in imagined content beyond the original photo’s borders.
(c)2023 The Sacramento Bee. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
