The UK’s Environment Agency is trialling the use of AI to monitor the quality of bathing water at beaches at Par in Cornwall and Combe Martin in Devon.

Through QR code signage, visitors are prompted to share information with the Hello Lamp Post AI platform.

During the 12-week trial, beach-goers will be asked about live events such as how many people are in the water and if there are any signs of pollution.

The platform will be a “two-way” conversation, with users also able to find out about the current water quality.

Hannah Amor of the Environment Agency’s citizen science team said that they used similar technology from the Hello Lamp Post platform in the past to raise awareness of flood risk in Cumbria allowing people to learn and feedback on topics such as climate change, but this time they are focusing on bathing water.

“Once you scan the QR code you will get some conversational prompts and you will be able to tell us, via the AI platform, about any issues you can see or questions you have,” she added. “This intelligence will help us identify problems and take appropriate action.”

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