New Orleans is using AI to triage 911 calls in case of backlog

An automated agent answers some incoming 911 calls in Orleans Parish before any human call taker does, [ 1 ] & callers are not explicitly told when they are speaking to an AI system . [ 1 ] During the Bourbon Street terrorist attack of January 1, 2025, [ 2 ] The Times-Picayune reported that an AI agent answered the first two 911 calls before routing them to a human, & that for roughly 20 seconds the incident was classified as a hit-and-run crash , according to OPCD Executive Director Karl Fasold. [ 1 ] The Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD) says the tool engages only for motor vehicle accident calls, only when every human call taker is already busy, & only when the caller is within about 200 meters of a crash that has already been reported. [ 3 ]