We all know that artificial intelligence (AI)–driven technology can deliver impressive business results: higher productivity, faster processes, reduced overall costs, etc. According to some predictions, AI will contribute up to $16 trillion to the global economy by 2030, primarily in the form of productivity gains.

Alongside these business-focused, bottom-line-boosting benefits of adopting AI, another category of benefits has emerged: those that benefit society on a human level. To cite just a few examples, AI is enabling more accurate weather forecasting, faster responses to disaster situations, and improved patient experiences.

These innovations are emerging at a time when many are expressing concerns about artificial intelligence, viewing it as a threat to personal freedoms rather than a force for good. At its core, however, AI is a tool like any other, and its impact depends on how it is used. One of the most significant humanitarian contributions of AI is that it’s helping create a safer world, whether that takes the form of improving driver safety, detecting safety hazards at construction sites, or helping the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identify adverse reactions to drugs more quickly.

Improving driver safety

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crashes in 2020 were responsible for more than 38,000 fatalities—the highest number since 2007. The office further reports that in 45 percent of those fatal crashes, drivers of passenger vehicles were engaged in risky behaviors such as speeding.

Using telematics to reward safe drivers

In an effort to prevent future fatalities and promote safer conditions for all drivers, auto insurance companies are turning to intelligent automation. Previously, insurers relied on past driving records—frequency and severity of tickets and accidents—to assess the safety of an individual’s driving habits. Today they can use telematics to collect real-time data while the person is driving, either through a physical device plugged into the vehicle or via a smartphone app. Both methods use AI to detect behaviors such as sudden acceleration and hard braking, and smartphone apps can also flag phone use while driving, a proven risk factor in traffic fatalities. Auto insurance companies then use this data to reward safe drivers with discounts and to encourage those with less-than-stellar habits to be more careful.

Coaching truck drivers in real time

On the commercial side, truck fleets are using AI-driven coaching apps to leverage positive reinforcement in helping drivers improve their safety practices. Netradyne’s Driver-i application, for example, analyzes 100 percent of a driver’s practices (not just “triggered events” such as speeding, in contrast with consumer insurance tracking apps) via computer vision using data from the rig’s dashcam. Through in-cab alerts and automated virtual coaching, drivers receive real-time feedback on what they’re doing as well as what they could be doing better.

Netradyne’s senior vice president of marketing, Barrett Young, recently shared his views on positive reinforcement as vital to improving the safety practices of commercial drivers. “If you think about the psychology of truck drivers,” he told Commercial Carrier Journal, “they're proud people. They're proud of their jobs. They work hard at their jobs—arguably some of the hardest workers in our entire economy. And so the last thing they want is to constantly be told that they're doing the job bad, especially when the majority of the time they're not.”

Making construction sites safer

In 2020, more than one in five workplace deaths occurred within the construction industry, and more than one-third of those fatalities resulted from falls, slips, and trips. In addition to saving lives, enhancing construction site safety also helps businesses avoid financial hardships. Each Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violation incurs a penalty of up to $15,625, and OSHA estimates that U.S. employers pay nearly $1 billion per week for direct workers' compensation costs.

Enhancing visibility

Construction companies are getting ahead of safety risks by increasing visibility with smart technology, particularly AI-supported cameras. Through photo recognition and 3-dimensional scanning, these cameras can recognize objects and people then use this data to identify hazards such as workers without hardhats, exposure to hazardous materials, and activities being performed unsafely or without the required safety gear.

Putting “smart” equipment to work

AI-powered “smart” construction equipment systems help construction operators increase transparency and accountability through consistent monitoring and reporting. Caterpillar’s VisionLink system, for example, delivers a dashboard that conveys the exact location of every piece of heavy equipment and tracks machine health, enabling proactive maintenance to prevent potential safety hazards due to malfunctioning machinery.

Enabling remote robotic construction

AI adds another dimension of safety by enabling some building elements to be produced away from the construction site. Robotic factories can produce certain structural components in a highly controlled setting, removing potential hazards from the site and thus lowering the risks of worker injury.

Improving drug safety reporting

Tracking adverse drug events (ADEs)—harms resulting from medication that include allergic reactions, side effects, and human error—is a key component in making drugs safer. Every year, adverse drug events (ADEs) cause about 1.3 million visits to the emergency room and 350,000 hospitalizations, costing about $3.5 billion a year.