An app called Durkheim will use artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to identify common words and phrases that could be used by someone wishing to commit suicide.
[col grid=”3-1 first”][quote]The Durkheim Project app monitors content from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.[/quote][/col]
The Project, which launched on July 2, is currently targeting veterans, who have a disproportionately high suicide rate. Veterans who want to join the Durkheim Projectwill need to install an app on their computers, iOS and Android devices. These apps will track users’ posts and upload them to a medical database. Medical AI algorithms will monitor the data in real time, picking out patterns that could lead to self-harm.
The Durkheim Project app can track content from Facebook, Twitter , and LinkedIn. It also stores information from the user's mobile device. A database located at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth University will track users' locations and the text messages they post. The information will be confidential and will not be shared with third parties. In addition, the system has a strong firewall to prevent access by would-be hackers.
“The study we have begun with our research partners will create a rich knowledge base that could ultimately enable early intervention by mental health professionals,” said Chris Poulin, the Project’s principal investigator, in a statement.
But the Durkheim Project isn't certain to achieve its goal: The program requires users to be logged in. But someone who has made up their mind to actually kill themselves wouldn't think to log in to the app first. And there's no indication that anyone who posts something negative is also ready to kill themselves.
Even so, the Durkheim Project is still in its experimental stage and welcomes anyone who wants to help develop it. Through collaboration between mental health professionals, technology experts, and social media sites, the database being built could be much more than a collection of sad posts.
