Mastodawn

Kashmir Hill Feb 3, 2023

Apple’s new algorithm to detect whether someone has been in a car accident is wreaking havoc for 911 call centers this ski season. Yet another example of a good idea from a technology company in theory that has problems in practice. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/03/health/apple-watch-911-emergency-call.html

Why Apple Watches Keep Calling 911

Dispatchers for 911 are being inundated with false, automated distress calls from Apple devices owned by skiers who are very much alive.

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Ian Fogg Feb 3, 2023

@kashhill Given Apple’s crash detection's launch in September, after a northern hemisphere summer, likely Apple engineers hadn’t been skiing much during the testing period. But this teething issue is fixable. And, the crash detection will save many more lives overall than not having it

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Miguel Manalo

@ianfogg this is how I see it too. Being inundated with false life-threatening situations isn’t good but hasn’t the technology already saved people? I recall a recent story where the medics arrived and the people were still unconscious. Their phone/watch got them help.