By Real Leaders

In addition to contaminating the air we breathe with toxic pollutants, wildfires release large quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Prevention, early detection, and fast response are key to minimizing damage — and artificial intelligence is proving to be a powerful tool. The University of California San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia program partnered with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and DigitalPath to develop and train an AI tool that uses footage from over 1,000 cameras throughout the state, picking up early indicators of fire and alerting local authorities so they can respond sooner and with more information.