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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: 4, Funny) by RamiK on Tuesday November 28 2017, @10:56PM (2 children)

    by RamiK (1813) on Tuesday November 28 2017, @10:56PM (#602720)

    First they came for the trade securities, and I did not speak out—
    Because I was not a day trader.

    Then they came for the cars, and I did not speak out—
    Because I was not a trucker.

    Then they came for the package delivery, and I did not speak out—
    Because I was not a mail courier.

    Then they came for the psychological consultants—and there was no desperate straight women for me to date.

    --
    compiling...
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Funny=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Funny' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   4  

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @01:43AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @01:43AM (#602769)

    Then they came for the psychological consultants—and there was no desperate straight women for me to date.

    You are being a bit negative. [fullerton.edu]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 01 2017, @02:58AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 01 2017, @02:58AM (#603777)

    Are you going thought a dark moment right now?
    Are you ok?

    Please upload a picture of your face so we can check to see how sane you are. We promise not to keep the photo forever or call the looney bin to have you put away. Promise. Really. Trust us. We know what is best for you. Why haven't you uploaded a picture of your face? Just shove your face in front of the camera on your computer and we'll do the rest. Stop stroking yourself, it's a bit offputting for our lesbian sanity checking staff.