Dial 112, Speak Any Language: Bengaluru’s AI Helpline Makes Emergency Calls Borderless

Bengaluru Police will be transforming emergency response by using an AI-powered multilingual voice agent for the 112 emergency helpline, providing assistance in more than 20 languages-spanning Spanish, French, Arabic, and Indian languages such as Bengali, Kannada, and Hindi. The initiative will ensure that language is never a hindrance for citizens in need, making Bengaluru a leader in tech-enabled public safety.

 

Key Highlights:

Bengaluru Police anticipate the new AI solution to considerably lower the average call handling and response time, which is currently around 7-8 minutes, by making calls more efficient and precise communication between callers and responders.

 

The launch of the system comes on the heels of a spike in emergency calls, with the 112 helpline receiving close to 27 lakh calls in 2024, and counters the challenges of blank and crank calls by simplifying authentic distress communication.

 

The technology upgrade is one of several efforts to bring policing in Bengaluru into the modern era, which also involves AI-based crime mapping and widespread CCTV integration for increased public safety.

 

Sources: Moneycontrol, Deccan Herald, The New Indian Express