It is estimated that one in three women in the world is experiencing violence in close relationships. The number may sound high, but that is part of the problem: domestic violence is hidden and victims have a high threshold to report it, let alone seek help. Finnish impact company We Encourage and digital development and security solutions specialist Loihde are building an AI-based tool to help both the victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.
The solution will provide people that are experiencing violence or the threat of violence with a generative AI chatbot service, where they can anonymously seek advice about their concerns. In the chat, AI will answer them and help them to find relevant information quickly and easily.
Why AI, wouldn’t it be better to discuss such a sensitive topic with a real person?
“In our interviews, many people who have experienced domestic violence have told us that a sense of shame prevents them from talking about it to others, and that they would rather seek information and support from a bot to gain the understanding and courage to speak up”, says Anna Juusela, founder of We Encourage. “There’s also a lack of knowledge about where you can get help. Although support is available, it’s rather fragmented. AI also has another big advantage: it works tirelessly around the clock and can be contacted at any time.”
Loihde provides the expertise needed for the technical implementation of the AinoAid service. At the heart of the solution is a large language model, GPT, which generates the answers using an extensive database compiled for this purpose and other instructions that it has been provided with.
“The basic principle sounds simple, but in practice it’s a very complex totality, where you have to take into account issues such as ensuring information security and privacy, human-AI interaction and a smooth user experience. It’s also important that the overall architecture and the service management model are well-designed to ensure scalability and service operations. For this reason, the project is a perfect fit for Loihde, because in addition to the actual AI work, we can make use of Loihde’s extensive expertise in information security and digital development”, says Sakke Mustonen, Director of Service Digitalisation at Loihde.
In fact, it was Loihde’s holistic and human-centric approach to AI that convinced We Encourage. In choosing the chatbot approach, Loihde took into account the requirements of sustainability, security and scalability.
AinoAid will be launched in April 2024 in Finland, in Finnish as well as in English, but the platform is built to enable multilingualism and cross-cultural compatibility. It will also be piloted in Germany, Austria, France and Spain in 2024. “There is a need for this service all over the world, but it is clear that the service content and the way it is presented is strictly linked to each country’s legislation, service network and culture. This brings its own challenges to the implementation”, says Anna Juusela.
AinoAid is being developed as part of the EU-funded Improve project, which seeks ways to tackle domestic violence, e.g. through cooperation between police, healthcare and social welfare professionals and researchers. In Finland, not only We Encourage, but also the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Police University College (Polamk) are involved in the project. The project provides valuable research knowledge and expertise from other consortium members in different EU countries to the development of AinoAid. A key role is played by the ecosystem around the service, linking those who need help, the authorities who provide help and the service providers.
“The first pilot version is now in internal testing, and we are currently looking for external testers for the next phase, to test the service before launch. We are looking for both professionals and people who want to discuss challenges in their relationships or want to know about domestic violence”, says Anna Juusela.
We Encourage:
CEO Anna Juusela, tel. +358 40 557 2836, anna.juusela@encourage.fi
Loihde:
Director of Service Digitalisation Sakke Mustonen, tel. +358 44 751 8048, sakke.mustonen@loihde.com
We Encourage (WE) is an impact company that provides mental health support and guidance for people affected by domestic violence. Often, services are focused mainly on the victims of the violence, we understand that violence just doesn’t happen, there is always a person committing violence. Our services are built to encompass all the stakeholders of violence, providing support not only for the victims but also for the perpetrators. Our services, in the long run, will take into consideration also other stakeholders that are affected by domestic violence, such as e.g. family members and friends. The services cover also support for professionals. encourage.fi/
Loihde enables business continuity. We help our customers to gain a sustainable competitive edge through data, AI and digitalisation, to harness the potential of the cloud and to protect themselves against both physical and cyber threats. The combining of these skills is what makes Loihde a unique and comprehensive partner. We are nearly 900 skilled professionals, and our revenue in 2022 amounted to EUR 123.0 million. loihde.com