Facebook Will Take Help Of AI To Try & Prevent Suicides!

Facebook is currently working on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem, where the system will be able to recognize patterns in posts or live videos where a person may display suicidal tendencies. 

It is an appreciable attempt to help prevent suicides. The company is preparing to roll out some AI based tools that will help to identify if anyone is expressing any thought related to suicide, which even includes Facebook Live.

It is heartening to know that Facebook has not given up on AI despite a bad experience with AI earlier this year.

How Will The Tool Work?

The AI based tool will work on pattern recognition. It will help to detect posts or any such live videos where anyone is expressing suicidal thoughts. The AI will detect and will directly report it to the appropriate authorities, who can then respond accordingly.

The feature will be available worldwide, except for the European Union, the company has clarified in a blog post.

Proactive Action

Facebook is hoping to save lives with their new feature. The new AI based tool from Facebook will be a Proactive Action tool. The tool will scan all the posts and videos on Facebook for patterns of any sort of suicidal thoughts. If required, they will direct the necessary mental health resources to the user deemed to be at risk or will contact their friends, or the local first-responders.

Social network is a place where people connect and Facebook wants to help people in distress by connecting them with people who can support them. The company is trying to safeguard their community online as well as offline.

Back in October, they had done a pilot and worked with around 100 first responders to do a wellness check via its proactive detection efforts.

Scanning Content

Facebook will have to proactively keep scanning people’s posts and videos in order for this tool to be effective. This might trigger some dystopian fears on how the technology is being given control over people’s content. There will also be some privacy concerns since Facebook will be able to see people’s content. On the other hand, there will be massive beneficial aspects of this new technology.

Facebook will use signals with texts in the post and comments like

“Are you ok?”

or

“Can I help?”,

which can act as strong indicators.

Facebook Specialist Team

The social media giant has a team ready that will include a dedicated group of specialists who have been specifically trained in counselling against suicide and self harm.

The company will take the help of AI to ensure that the right resources are available to help people in distress and, where appropriate will quickly alert first responders. Additionally, Facebook will also use automation to quickly access the appropriate first responders’ contact information.

The teams will work around the world, 24×7, who will keep reviewing reports that come in, and will be prioritised according to seriousness of reports. The team will provide with a number of support options, such as to reach out to a friend.

Suicide Prevention Partners In India

Facebook has tools to help with local language resources and will include telephone hotlines for suicide prevention and nearby authorities.

The moderator will be able to contact responders and be immediately able to send help to the user’s location.

Back in September, Facebook said they are working with suicide prevention partners in India to collect such phrases, hashtags and group names associated with online challenges encouraging any sort of self-harm or suicide.

It started on the World Suicide Prevention Day which falls on 10th September. The new feature will help connect people in India with important information about support groups and suicide prevention tools in the News Feed.

Facebook currently has over 2 billion active users, and Facebook is stepping up to rise up to the challenge.

Artificial Intelligence, if used correctly can provide a better approach and might help to prevent such incidents in the future!