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Facebook Starts Global Rollout of its AI Suicide Prevention Tools

posted by janrinok on Tuesday November 28 2017, @08:47PM   Printer-friendly
from the if-you're-happy-and-you-know-it... dept.

Fnord666 writes:

Facebook is expanding its limited test run for suicide- and -self-harm reporting tools to the masses. To get better at detection the social network will begin implementing pattern recognition for posts and Live videos to detect when someone could be presenting suicidal thoughts. From there, VP of product management Guy Rosen writes that the social network will also concentrate efforts to improve alerting first responders when the need arises. Facebook will also have more humans looking at posts flagged by its algorithms.

Currently the passive/AI detection tools are only available in the US, but soon those will roll out across the globe -- European Union countries notwithstanding. In the past month, Facebook has pinged over 100 first responders about potentially fatal posts, in addition to those that were reported by someone's friends and family.

Apparently, "Are you okay?" and "Can I help?" comments are good indicators that someone might be going through a very dark moment. More than that, Rosen says that thanks to the algorithms and those phrases, Facebook has picked up on videos that might've otherwise gone unnoticed prior.

"With all the fear about how AI may be harmful in the future, it's good to remind ourselves how AI is actually helping save people's lives today," CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a post on the social network.

Source: https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/27/facebook-ai-suicide-prevention-tools/

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 28 2017, @10:22PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 28 2017, @10:22PM (#602699)

    OH NO my CRY FOR HELP was MODDED DOWN.

    Okey dokey. Everybody prepare to be manslaughtered.

  • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday November 28 2017, @10:26PM (4 children)

    by bob_super (1357) on Tuesday November 28 2017, @10:26PM (#602702)

    Don't worry, the Facebook AI will soon come to help you feel better, and thus prevent your suicide, by Liking Your Posts.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 28 2017, @10:40PM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 28 2017, @10:40PM (#602711)

      Suicide Prevention Bot will friend all the undesirable people who can't make real friends.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 28 2017, @10:57PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 28 2017, @10:57PM (#602722)

        http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/ [imdb.com]

        • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday November 29 2017, @10:12AM

          by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Wednesday November 29 2017, @10:12AM (#602911) Homepage
          Not seen that one (it sounded trashy), but here's a (possibly, not haveing seen both, I can't be sure) similar idea, 6 years earlier: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0805564/
          --
          Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves

      • (Score: 1, Troll) by DannyB on Wednesday November 29 2017, @02:17PM

        by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 29 2017, @02:17PM (#602992) Journal

        Suicide Prevention Bot will friend all the undesirable people who can't make real friends.

        So you mean all FaceTwit users?

        --
        To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.

  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 29 2017, @02:16PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 29 2017, @02:16PM (#602991) Journal

    Everybody prepare to be manslaughtered.

    You mean manscaped?

    A far worse outcome.

    --
    To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.