Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Fire & Emergency Service has introduced an artificial intelligence (AI)- and machine learning-based chatbot, ‘Ama Sathi’, to provide people with information on fire safety rules, guidelines and emergency measures, Director General of Fire Services and Commandant General of Home Guards Dr Sudhanshu Sarangi said on Tuesday.
The chatbot has been developed to make fire safety-related information easily accessible to the public and allows users to ask questions in English, Odia and Hindi.
Speaking to the media, Sarangi said the initiative was aimed at helping people understand various fire safety rules and guidelines and get answers to their queries through the chatbot.
“Odisha Fire & Emergency Service has taken a new step by launching a chatbot. As you all know, the chatbot uses AI and machine learning. Through this, we have made an effort to ensure that people can learn about fire safety rules and various safety guidelines,” Sarangi said.
He said people can use the chatbot to seek information on a range of fire safety-related issues. For instance, a person planning to start a business can ask whether a fire safety certificate is required.
“Similarly, if someone is constructing a house, they can ask what safety measures and arrangements need to be made. If a fire incident occurs, people can also ask what steps should be taken,” he said.
The chatbot can be accessed in English, Odia and Hindi, allowing users to ask questions in these languages and receive responses accordingly. Users can also translate responses where required.
Sarangi said the chatbot may have certain limitations during its initial stage but would improve as more people use it and submit queries.
“In the beginning, the chatbot may provide fewer answers. But as it receives more questions, it will learn through machine learning algorithms. In the coming days, it will become smarter and provide answers according to the needs of the people,” he said.
He expressed hope that the initiative would help people easily access fire safety-related information and improve public awareness about preventive measures.
“We hope this chatbot on fire safety guidelines will help everyone. Those who want to know about fire safety can easily use the ‘Ama Sathi’ chatbot. We hope people will welcome this initiative and make use of it,” Sarangi said.
