How AI is supporting social distancing
Although many states across America are reopening, it is crucial that everyone remain vigilant and continue taking safety precautions seriously, because contracting COVID-19 is still a very real risk with potentially dangerous implications. As health professionals have said, social distancing can help to slow the spread of infectious diseases. In order to ensure that people minimize their interactions with each other, AI is being used to enforce social distancing.
Some companies have already been using AI-powered sensors to better understand whether they are using the space in their workplaces efficiently. In some instances, this has aided companies by informing them of unused space and presenting opportunities to trim real estate costs. Now this technology has been repurposed to identify the number of people in an area and the distance between them to ensure social distancing. Notifications of overcrowding are typically sent to a building facilities manager’s phone to then help manage the situation.
Recently, Amazon has also deployed its own “Distance Assistant,” which features an AI-enabled camera, TV screen and depth sensors to monitor employee movement and provide real-time feedback. The TV feed will show that employees who remain six feet apart are surrounded by a green circle, but if they get any closer, they will then be surrounded by a flashing, red circle to indicate they are breaking social distancing guidelines. Considering social distancing may not come naturally, leveraging technology can help protect employees as they begin to resume working together in shared spaces.
As we continue to innovate tech-enabled solutions to aid how we manage our new work environments that also prioritize safety, AI is playing a critical role in helping us intelligently adapt to the global pandemic.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone.