What changed
2026-07-28 10:14 UTC → 2026-07-29 15:25 UTC ·
added
removed
In late June 2026, South Korea’s Ministry of Land first announced plans to use artificial intelligence, in late June 2026 that AI, drones and satellite data would be used to improve safety in railway construction, signalling marking a broader push for high‑tech solutions in public‑works projects. A month later, Within weeks the government moved from planning to deployment, installing AI‑enabled cameras on bridges over the 17 Han River. The system River bridges in Seoul. Nearly 900 cameras now automatically detects detect behaviours that suggest suggesting a suicide attempt and alerts rescue teams, raising attempt—lingering, entering hazardous zones or using emergency phones—and alert a central control centre. The system, operational since 2021, has lifted the bridge‑rescue success rate from 56 % in 2012 to over 99%. By 99 % today, with emergency teams typically reaching sites within five minutes. In the end of 2023, around 900 previous year the cameras were operating on 17 bridges, handling flagged more than 1,200 incidents. Together, these suicide‑related events, rescuing the majority of those involved; only eight deaths were recorded. Japanese firm Asilla provides the AI‑analysis software. These steps illustrate an expanding South Korean strategy to embed AI‑driven monitoring and risk‑detection technologies across critical infrastructure, from rail construction sites to public bridges, aiming to enhance public safety and response efficiency.