152 When a disaster such as an earthquake, flood or wildfire strikes, cities must act fast. They have to rapidly deploy first responders and resources to all affected areas to minimise damage to critical infrastructure and move people to safety. In the immediate aftermath, they need to quickly assess the full scale of the damage, identify risks of further incidents occurring, and collaborate with first responders and other organisations to coordinate relief efforts. Crucially, they must continually share accurate real-time updates with their teams and members of the public as the situation evolves. “Managing so many moving parts is challenging and requires city leaders to have access to realtime insights from multiple data sources so they can optimise resources and make well-informed decisions,” says Doug Priest, public transportation and urban infrastructure lead for worldwide government at Microsoft. “They need to know where their teams are operating, what actions they’re taking, whether the incident is spreading, and how everything from people to houses, roads and power grids have been impacted.” One way they can do this is by using generative AI and machine vision technology to analyse images and videos from satellites, aerial drones and other citywide cameras. “Generative AI can rapidly analyse this complex data alongside information from other sources, such as communications between first responders and to give city leaders a clear picture of what’s going on,” explains Priest. “Virtual assistants built Microsoft’s Doug Priest explains how data and AI are empowering city leaders to optimise resources, personalise service delivery, and create safer and more resilient places to live BY REBECCA GIBSON FEATURE the of the future Building cities “ Data and AI must be at the core of any smart city initiative”
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