Voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant and Cortana are convenient for everyday tasks. But they often do not provide adequate care in emergency situations, for example, when it comes to providing instructions for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In a recent study Harvard Medical School discussed the importance of improving voice assistants for this critical task.
Voice assistants in crisis situations
CPR Challenge: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can save lives, but voice assistants can't help people in emergencies.
The results of the CPR study
- Mixed and irrelevant answers: The study found that voice assistants gave confused answers to questions about CPR. Sometimes they talked about things unrelated to the topic, like movies.
- Lack of clear voice instructions: Only 12% of responses provided clear voice instructions, which are crucial during emergencies.
- Delay in getting help: Relying on voice assistants for CPR instructions can lead to delays in getting help. Rapid CPR can double or quadruple the chance of survival after a cardiac arrest.
- ChatGPT performs better: ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, performed better. He provided more helpful information and suggested calling 911 first.
- Need for standards: This study shows that we need standard CPR instructions for all voice assistants. Dr. Adam Landman suggests tech companies work with medical experts to make sure common phrases trigger accurate CPR instructions, including when to call 911.
Answers from technology companies
- Microsoft's Bing Chat prompts users to call 911 before providing CPR instructions.
- Google wants to improve and collaborate with the medical community.
- Apple and Amazon did not comment on the research.
Pidsumok
Ніхто не сперечається, що такі додатки, як Siri, можуть допомогти в кризових ситуаціях, але вони повинні вдосконалюватися в наданні допомоги при серцево-легеневій реанімації. Дослідження показує, що нам потрібні чіткі, стабільні рекомендації. З розвитком технологій голосові помічники повинні об’єднуватися з експертами, щоб давати швидкі, правильні поради щодо СЛР і рятувати життя. Наразі найбезпечнішим вибором у разі підозри на невідкладні стани серця є виклик 911.
