Facebook is Using AI to Help With Suicide Prevention

Facebook has announced the addition of new resources -- aided by artificial intelligence -- to help identify and support at-risk users, specifically those who may be suicidal. In a post on the Facebook newsroom blog, product manager Vanessa Callison-Burch, researcher Jennifer Guadagno and head of global safety Antigone Davis note, "There is one death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15–29 year olds. Experts say that one of the best ways to prevent suicide is for those in distress to hear from people who care about them." Facebook already provides suicide prevention tools -- rolled out over 10 years ago -- such as offering tips on how to find support and the option for users to report posts that contain self-harm or suicide-related content. The company is testing a new tool to aid this process: artificial intelligence.