rmstein@ieee.org
Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2019 09:52:00 -0700
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/09/us/emergency-response-disaster-technology.html
Emergency response simulation, for sale, adopted by several municipalities
(and at least on country -- Japan) to optimize first responder resource
allocation and prioritization. The `One Concern' AI platform relies on
residential census data.
As noted in the NY Times piece:
"But when T.J. McDonald, who works for Seattle's office of emergency management, reviewed a simulated earthquake on the company's damage prediction platform, he spotted problems. A popular big-box store was grayed out on the web-based map, meaning there was no analysis of the conditions there, and shoppers and workers who might be in danger would not receive immediate help if rescuers relied on One Concern's results.
"'If that Costco collapses in the middle of the day, there's going to be a lot of people who are hurt,' he said."
The US census collects household income data. This component might be accorded greater algorithmic weight. Similarly, what would happen to disaster response prioritization if crime statistics, such as homicide rate, were integrated? Or if there's an EPA superfund site in the locality?
Algorithmic bias remains a significant risk to public safety and health.
Trust that dedicate public servants, like Mr. McDonald, are vigilant and
accountable to direct emergency response where and when disaster strikes.