We Should Embrace Artificial Intelligence —Here’s Why

It’s approaching 6:00 p.m. You’re at home cooking dinner in your apartment in the Westwood area of Los Angeles when your Echo overrides the music and squawks to life: “Earthquake Alert! Earthquake Alert! 6.7 temblor, epicenter 3.8 miles west of Ventura, California—impact will be in eleven minutes—evacuate, evacuate!”

While you run to the hall closet to grab your earthquake kit, you shout out: “Alexa, where is my emergency evac location?”

“116 Warner Avenue, 1.3 miles away. Walk north to Wilshire, then take a left on Warner,” she responds. “Disengaging gas and electricity, activating battery power.”

As you and your neighbors pour into the building stairwell, you hear audio from a phone: “Google Earth Q estimates substantial potential for structural damage in the West San Fernando Valley and Coastal West Los Angeles to pre-2006 code dwellings and buildings. Most of West LA will experience total loss of power for anywhere from six to twenty-four hours in duration.”

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