China is using AI technology to identify users who express suicidal thoughts on microblog site Weibo in order to prevent suicide attempts.

 

中国将使用人工智能技术在微博上识别有自杀想法的用户以阻止自杀。

 

Zhu Tingshao, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, conducted a two-year study of online suicidal ideation and set up an AI account to help those who are suffering.

 

"Suicide hotlines and intervention¹ centers are the most prevalent methods for suicide prevention. Yet only 20 percent of people with suicidal inclinations² are willing to seek help. Therefore, web-based research is significant," said Zhu.

 

According to a paper published last December in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, in 2016, Zhu's team recruited 4,222 microbloggers who had expressed suicidal thoughts in a bid to find language patterns the AI could learn from.

 

"We used AI technology such as natural language processing and deep learning to collect language patterns from suicidal users. Then our AI account sent direct messages to them online, offering comfort and advice while protecting their privacy," Zhu said.

 

Many people contemplating³ suicide share their worries online rather than telling a specialist.

 

Zhu said his account is quite useful in identifying people who express suicidal thoughts online.

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