The city of Reno is bringing artificial intelligence into its regional dispatch system to handle non-emergency calls; a move officials say is designed to improve efficiency while keeping 911 calls answered by human operators.
The regional dispatch center is using AI technology to assist with non-emergency calls as a way to reduce wait times and manage high call volumes. Instead of a traditional phone tree, callers will interact with a conversational voice assistant that gathers basic information, such as what happened and where, and routes the details to the appropriate department.
The technology is also being used to transcribe calls in real time, which officials say can help dispatchers better understand callers who may be difficult to hear or understand…