Google admits that its earthquake alerts failed before the deadly earthquake

Google would have admitted the Bbc That its Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA) system failed to provide timely and precise warnings during the 7.8 amplitude earthquake that hit Turkey in 2023.

According to THE Bbc reportAbout 10 million people within 158 kilometers (98 miles) of the Earthquake epicenter could have received an alert to “take measures” from Google, but the system only sent 469 of these warnings. If the alerts operated properly, people at risk could have had up to 35 seconds of notice to request security.

Instead, Google said the system had issued around 500,000 notifications of “be aware” of lower level, which are intended for less intense tremors and not replace the settings of a phone. On the other hand, the stronger “action” alert is designed to wake users and encourage them to severity of the situation, which can be critical during night events or early in the morning.

In particular, Google had previously said to Bbc that the system “worked well” after an investigation in 2023 on the issue. In a declaration at Android authority At the time, society had noted the following:

Our system has detected major earthquakes and many replicas in Türkiye. During a devastating earthquake event, many factors can affect whether users receive, notice or act on an additional alert – including the specific characteristics of the earthquake and the availability of Internet connectivity. Users may also not see or pay attention to an alert in the middle of the night or while prioritizing personal and family security during significant natural disasters.

However, in recent results published in Science Magazine, Google admits that “the limits to detection algorithms” have misunderstood the system.

Android earthquake alerts have been launched in 2020 and use data from smartphone accelerometers to detect seismic crowdsource activity. Available in nearly 100 countries, the system would have detected more than 18,000 earthquakes and sent millions of alerts. The goal is to give people for a few seconds crucial to get away from dangerous situations before the tremors strike.

The Turkey earthquake in 2023 was one of the deadliest in recent history, affirming more than 55,000 lives and injured more than 100,000. Although Google’s alert system has been technically operational, it underestimated the gravity of the event.

According to the report, the Google earthquake warning system has misused the intensity of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake between 4.5 and 4.9. The system also underestimated a second major earthquake which later struck the same day. However, the second shock resulted in a slightly better alert response, the system sending approximately 8,158 “action” notifications as well as nearly four million “conscious” alerts.

After the disaster, Google engineers reviewed their detection model. When they directed a simulation using updated algorithms, the system has successfully generated 10 million “acting” notifications for those close to the epicenter and 67 million warnings “Be aware” for those who are more distant.

“Each early alert system for earthquakes is struggling with the same challenge – adjusting algorithms for large -scale events,” said a google spokesperson Bbc.

So the lesson here is that if tools like the Android Treatchquake Alerts (AEA) system of Google can provide vital warnings and constitute a precious part of modern Android smartphones, they may not always work as expected.