Will public safety telecommunicators be replaced by AI?
Updated
Public safety telecommunicators score 57 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 60%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 26% outright, and 14% stays with people.
- 26% AI can do it
- 60% AI helps
- 14% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 87% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 18 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 5 of them today, speeds up 10 and leaves 3 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages. Transcription and CAD entry from calls is highly automatable today. | 80% AI can do it |
| Maintain files of information relating to emergency calls, such as personnel rosters and emergency call-out and pager files. Rosters and pager lists are routine records AI can maintain. | 75% AI can do it |
| Enter, update, and retrieve information from teletype networks and computerized data systems regarding such things as wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and stolen vehicles. Database queries are routine software tasks; accountability still requires review. | 65% AI can do it |
| Answer routine inquiries, and refer calls not requiring dispatches to appropriate departments and agencies. Routine information lookups and referrals are well suited to AI. | 65% AI can do it |
| Monitor alarm systems to detect emergencies, such as fires and illegal entry into establishments. AI triages alarm feeds and flags likely emergencies for review. | 65% AI can do it |
| Receive incoming telephone or alarm system calls regarding emergency and non-emergency police and fire service, emergency ambulance service, information, and after-hours calls for departments within a city. Routine calls suit AI phone triage; emergencies stay with humans. | 55% AI helps |
| Observe alarm registers and scan maps to determine whether a specific emergency is in the dispatch service area. Alarm location checks are automatable; staff confirm edge cases. | 55% AI helps |
| Learn material and pass required tests for certification. AI tutors aid study, but certification tests remain human proctored. | 50% AI helps |
| Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures. Software suggests priorities, but dispatcher remains accountable for dispatch decisions. | 45% AI helps |
| Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification. Live radio relay stays human; AI can draft written messages. | 45% AI helps |
Show the other 8 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Monitor various radio frequencies, such as those used by public works departments, school security, and civil defense, to stay apprised of developing situations. AI speech tools can flag key radio traffic for review. | 40% AI helps |
| Read and effectively interpret small-scale maps and information from a computer screen to determine locations and provide directions. Mapping software geocodes locations, but giving directions needs judgement. | 40% AI helps |
| Scan status charts and computer screens, and contact emergency response field units to determine emergency units available for dispatch. Status boards are software; unit contact over radio stays human. | 40% AI helps |
| Provide emergency medical instructions to callers. Scripted protocols aid coaching, but live distressed callers need humans. | 35% AI helps |
| Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed. Live questioning of distressed callers stays human led. | 35% AI helps |
| Test and adjust communication and alarm systems, and report malfunctions to maintenance units. Physical equipment testing needs technicians; AI only aids diagnostics. | 15% Needs a person |
| Maintain access to, and security of, highly sensitive materials. Physical custody and access control of sensitive materials stays human. | 8% Needs a person |
| Operate and maintain mobile dispatch vehicles and equipment. Driving and physical vehicle maintenance require a person. | 5% Needs a person |
How public safety telecommunicators compare
All occupations (923)
Office and administrative support (51)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $53,040 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 102,500 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +3.7% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Run CAD entries and dispatch records in computer-aided dispatch systems
- Hold APCO Certified Public-Safety Telecommunicator credential
- Pull wanted-person and vehicle records from NCIC teletype systems
- Give pre-arrival medical instructions using EMD protocol cards
- Question distressed callers to pinpoint location and emergency type
- Brief responding units by radio with verified incident details
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about public safety telecommunicators and AI
Will AI replace public safety telecommunicators?
Partly. About 5 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly recording call details into CAD and maintaining rosters and pager files. Live questioning of frightened callers, emergency medical coaching, and dispatch decisions stay with people, because a stressed caller needs a trained voice that can respond to what it hears.
Which public safety telecommunicator tasks is AI taking over?
Recording call details and maintaining call files score highest for exposure, at 80 and 75 out of 100. Transcription and CAD entry are routine data work, and rosters and pager lists are records AI can keep current. Database lookups for wanted persons and vehicle registrations, scored 65, are also well suited to software, though a person still checks the results.
Which public safety telecommunicator tasks stay human?
Operating mobile dispatch vehicles, scored 5 out of 100, and securing sensitive materials, scored 8, stay with people. Testing communication equipment, scored 15, also needs a technician on site. Physical custody and driving need a person present, so these tasks carry little AI exposure.
How do public safety telecommunicators stay valuable as AI takes over data entry?
Get certified in emergency medical dispatch protocols and hold the APCO Certified Public-Safety Telecommunicator credential. Spend more time on live questioning and radio coordination with field units. Learn to audit AI-written CAD entries and NCIC returns, since accountability for those records still sits with the telecommunicator.
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Next steps for public safety telecommunicators
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