Google's Earthquake Alert System Failure

In 2023, Google's earthquake early warning system faced a significant failure during a deadly quake in Turkey. The system, designed to alert people about incoming earthquakes, severely underestimated the severity of the event.

The system should have sent high-level alerts to about 10 million people within 98 miles of the earthquake's center. These alerts could have given people up to 35 seconds to find safety. However, only 469 'Take Action' warnings were sent out for the first 7.8 magnitude quake.

Google has admitted this mistake and says they are working to improve the system based on what they learn from each earthquake. The company's researchers have changed their algorithm since the incident, hoping to prevent similar failures in the future.