In recent years, the rapid advancement of technology has allowed for significant improvements in public safety. From autonomous vehicles to artificial intelligence, these innovations have revolutionized the way safety officials approach and deal with health issues, natural disasters and other safety hazards. 

Autonomous vehicles have long been regarded as a progress meter for technological advancements. Over the past decade, car companies such as Tesla, Waymo and Ford’s ArgoAI have pioneered the effort to achieve fully self-driving vehicles. In 2015, Tesla released its Tesla Version 7.0 software, encompassing basic lane-keeping and autosteer features. Since then, the field of autonomous vehicles has evolved rapidly with some companies like Waymo having already released their services to the public. Since 2020, Waymo’s self-driving fleet of taxis have been in operation in the Downtown Phoenix area, allowing commuters in search of a quick trip the opportunity to travel in one of their fully autonomous vehicles. According to the United States Department of Transportation, the development of autonomous vehicles will be vital in improving car safety by, “remov[ing] the human driver from the chain of events that can lead to a crash.” 

Technological advancements have also shown great promise in the field of medicine. Artificial intelligence is now being used by scientists to recognize and treat various forms of cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, scientists have been able to develop AI powered tools to aid in screening tests. In 2019, the NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics was able to design an algorithm that performed better than visual inspections in detecting cervical precancers. In 2022, Louisiana State University researchers were able to program an AI powered engine that could match cancer treatments to patients based on small cell samples. Other areas of medicine such as gene modification have also risen in popularity over the past few years. Genetic engineering has long been used to modify the food we consume from fruits and vegetables to livestock, but its application on humans has been largely curtailed out of an abundance of caution. In recent years, the development of the CRISPR/Cas-9 genome editing system has provided hope for patients of clinical diseases. The system works by replacing small subsequences of genetic information through the usage of the Cas-9 enzyme. Scientists hope to eventually apply such technologies to eliminate hereditary illnesses and also help victims of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and heart disease.

In 2023, Syria and Turkey both experienced large-scale earthquakes that destroyed infrastructure and homes, costing many lives. According to a new article published by MIT Technology Review, new artificial intelligence technology has since been used in the search and recovery process, aiding humanitarian workers in their efforts to save lives. The US Department of Defense’s xView2 is a new satellite imaging technology that utilizes computer software to assess the damage at a specific location. 

Said MIT Technology Review, “This is an improvement over more traditional disaster assessment systems, in which rescue and emergency responders rely on eyewitness reports and calls to identify where help is needed quickly.”

Humanity has a lot to look forward to as technology continues to advance in the nascent fields of biotechnology, artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles.