On the morning of February 6, 2023, southeastern Turkey was struck by a devastating earthquake. The powerful tremors killed over 55,000 people and injured more than 100,000. Many victims were asleep and did not have time to respond to a warning. This tragedy raised serious questions about trust in technology.
At the time of the earthquake, Google’s Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA) system was active, but the algorithms that trigger the system failed to sufficiently detect the strong shaking. As a result, out of approximately 10 million users who should have been alerted, only 469 received the highest-level “Take Action Immediately” warning. Half a million people received a lower-level “Be Aware” alert related to weaker tremors.
Google later acknowledged the error, stating that it had updated the system’s algorithms, and that a simulation showed that the alert would now have reached all 10 million people. However, the problem is that these changes were announced two years after the disaster.
Google emphasizes that its system is not a replacement for national alert systems but rather a supplementary mechanism. Nevertheless, some scientists express concern that some countries may overly rely on such technologies and pay too little attention to developing their own seismological infrastructure.
Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!
