Giving Compass' Take:

• Personal safety is a global issue that has gone unaddressed, but technology can drive progress in solutions. 

• How can donors support technology that advances personal safety? What are some current examples of this kind of tech in society?

• Learn how police are adopting smart tech to improve public safety.

Today, there is an app for everything. We live in a world so technologically advanced that you can buy a watch with virtually the same capabilities as your computer, have a robot clean your room or order groceries to your doorstep with a click of a button.

From augmented reality to 3D printing to the development of artificial intelligence, Silicon Valley and other hubs of innovation have given us a wide range of technologies with capabilities like never before.

But technology has left behind a big problem.

Across the globe, regardless of country, personal safety is a life or death issue that has largely gone unaddressed.

These risks mean most of us encounter potentially dangerous situations every day, even in the most routine situations. For example, ride-sharing has become a habitual way we get from point A to point B with the click of a button, but it has also introduced new safety risks inherently associated with getting into a stranger’s car.

Over the last year, ride-share companies have been hit with a slew of sexual assault accusations. Drivers, particularly women, also face big risks on the job alone.

But despite the severity of the issue at hand, there is hope. We can create and leverage technology to serve as our ally, just as we do in every other part of our lives. We must push for the brightest minds in tech to create the best solutions to this problem and change the culture around personal safety.

We have been able to accomplish incredible feats of engineering when we put our minds to it. We are surrounded by examples of technology that has made a difference and saved people’s lives, from digital stethoscopes to improved cancer screenings to robotic limbs.

Read the full article about technology can help advance personal safety by Anthony Oyogoa and Ruma Patel at Smart Cities Dive.