'Artificial Intelligence' Is a Blessing... Yongin City Detects Vulnerable Groups' Crises with AI

Collaboration with KEPCO, SKT, and Haengbok Connect
194 Cases Confirmed and Addressed in Q1 Alone

Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province is operating the 'AI Anbu Dundeun Service,' which uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology and big data from electricity and telecommunications to prevent accidents among vulnerable groups.

This service is a one-stop safety net designed to detect crisis signals in single-person households at high risk of social isolation and prevent accidents. The city signed a business agreement with Korea Electric Power Corporation, SK Telecom, and Happy Connect in July last year and started a pilot project.

System diagram of Yongin City's 'AI Anbudundeun Service'.

Currently, about 200 households are using this service. The service is provided by selecting households through vulnerability surveys and resident reports conducted by each eup, myeon, and dong administrative welfare center.

The service detects crisis signals through electricity usage, telecommunications, and care apps without installing any separate devices. If there is no telecommunications or electricity usage for 24 hours, indicating a potential crisis, an AI call first checks on the household. If there is no response, a city control officer conducts a second check, and if there is still no response, the officer visits the household in person.

In the first quarter of this year, a total of 194 crisis signals were detected. Among these, 116 second checks were conducted, and 4 cases involved on-site visits. A city official stated, "We will raise the level of welfare services by integrating smart technology into welfare services."