When you call 911 or the non-emergency number, you normally hear another person on the other end of the line. In Anoka County, that's changing soon � and it's already starting on some calls.

"It's working really well, it's exceeded my expectations," Kari Morrissey, Director of Emergency Communications for Anoka County, said.

Testing is underway on an artificial intelligence-assisted emergency call taker in the Emergency Communications Center. Eric or Erica, depending on which answer, asks the same questions the staff does to collect information.

I'm one of these, like, that's not gonna work," Morrissey said. "Prove it, you know, it can't replace a human and that was my biggest thing.

Morrissey says they receive 1,100 calls a day on average throughout the year, with nearly two-thirds of those coming through the non-emergency line.

We're not using this to replace people," she said. "We're using it to keep people in their seats, ease the burden of the job, give them more breaks, time away from their seats, because they need it.

?It'll keep more telecommunicators in their seats, they'll stay trained, we won't be training so many new people, and it's good technology," she said. "It's coming. We're just earlier to the game than some people.