Burnham to reveal plans for AI unit to tackle wildfires after scorching summer
Source: The Guardian ·
PM will also announce funding for specialised protective gear and the deployment of military aircraftThe UK government is to create an AI Cobra unit to spot wildfires after this year’s record-breaking summer saw devastating blazes across the country.The country experienced its hottest-ever summer this year, with prolonged dry periods and extreme heat fuelling wildfires that triggered an…
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The UK government is to create an AI Cobra unit to spot wildfires after this year’s record-breaking summer saw devastating blazes across the country. The country experienced its hottest-ever summer this year, with prolonged dry periods and extreme heat fuelling wildfires that triggered an emergency alert to mobile phones in England and Wales. Figures released on 8 October showed a clear upward trend in the number of fires recorded each year. The Met Office found that the climate crisis made this extreme heat about 130 times more likely. At the government’s first wildfire resilience summit on Friday, Andy Burnham will announce plans for a new wildfire AI unit in the National Situation Centre, which is part of the Cobra briefing rooms. Businesses including Google, Airbus and VodafoneThree are expected to attend the summit to set out how satellite monitoring and early warning systems can help fight fires. The government said its new AI unit would enable it to “spot and fight fires…