AI’s role in wildfire detection, healthcare, and education

From detecting wildfires before they spread to giving doctors more time with patients, AI is opening new possibilities for how technology can serve the public good.

Speaking on a Global Stage panel during the 81st UN General Assembly, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith explores how AI is being applied across climate, health care, and education.

Smith highlights a system developed with the University of California San Diego that uses AI-enabled cameras on forest watchtowers to detect wildfires, helping first responders act more quickly.

In health care, AI can draft notes from patient conversations, giving doctors more time to focus on their patients. In education, Smith discusses Microsoft’s agreement with the American Federation of Teachers to prevent AI tools from fostering emotional dependence among students.

“The most important relationships in a classroom,” Smith says, should remain between students, teachers, and classmates, arguing that technology should support human connection, not replace it.

This conversation is presented by GZERO Media in partnership with Microsoft. The Global Stage series convenes global leaders for critical conversations on the geopolitical forces reshaping our world.