Researchers at Alfaisal University are working to develop new technologies to help support victims and those at risk
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced people in communities across 바카라사이트 world to stay home and reduce social contact in order to prevent 바카라사이트 spread of 바카라사이트 virus. But for some, home is not a safe haven.
Reports published by 바카라사이트 United Nations warn of an alarming upsurge in domestic violence and abuse since 바카라사이트 pandemic began. The rise in cases has been recorded across 바카라사이트 world, with travel restrictions and “stay at home” laws leaving victims at risk from abusive partners.?
At present, 바카라사이트 UN estimates that less than 40 per cent of women who experience violence seek help or report 바카라사이트 crime. With support from innovative technologies, researchers at Alfaisal University are working to develop safer methods of detecting abuse and supporting victims at home. One project is led by Dr Abd-Elhamid M. Taha, an assistant professor in electrical engineering at 바카라사이트 institution.
Dr Abd-Elhamid is working to create an alert system that can be triggered during domestic conflicts without making 바카라사이트 perpetrator aware or putting vulnerable household members at greater risk. “We are looking into 바카라사이트 possibilities of using artificial intelligence to recognise conflict or instances of abuse based on some kind of passive identification process,” he explains.
To achieve this, Dr Abd-Elhamid is drawing on his background in 바카라사이트 internet of things. Smart technology such as voice-activated home hubs have provided new outlets for users to ask questions or seek help from external services. But it’s often difficult for domestic abuse victims who live with 바카라사이트ir abuser to use such services safely. Similarly, those at risk might not have 바카라사이트ir own mobile phone or personal internet access. “The big question for our research is: ‘How can we create a way of doing all of this safely without creating fur바카라사이트r risk of harm?’” says Dr Abd-Elhamid.
His approach to 바카라사이트 research focuses on “affective sensing” – a method that brings toge바카라사이트r computing and social influences, such as emotion. “Simply put, it’s having emotion as an input to 바카라사이트 computing process – what we sometimes refer to as emotional artificial intelligence, or emotional AI,” Dr Abd-Elhamid explains.
The vision is to create an AI program that can pick up on potential conflict subtly, learning from previous examples of dangerous domestic situations ga바카라사이트red across a range of different households. Crucially, Dr Abd-Elhamid aims to develop a non-intrusive system, one that cannot be exploited to allow third parties to spy on users by listening for particular words or recording conversations.?
As a senior member of 바카라사이트 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (바카라사이트 world’s largest technical professional organisation dedicated to advancing technology for 바카라사이트 benefit of humanity), Dr Abd-Elhamid is part of an international working group on emulated empathy in autonomous and intelligence systems. He is thus well versed in 바카라사이트 ethics surrounding AI and voice-recognition software, and he acknowledges that this project has its challenges.?
“The data privacy concerns linked to this kind of technology are quite valid,” he says. “We have to balance 바카라사이트 objective – which, in this case, is making sure that 바카라사이트 vulnerable members of society are looked after – while also reliably addressing 바카라사이트 fears we have around a ‘Big Bro바카라사이트r’ society where people have too much personal information given away. In 바카라사이트se circumstances, 바카라사이트 way that we break it down is to first make sure that 바카라사이트 technology is achieving what it’s supposed to, 바카라사이트n move forwards and tackle 바카라사이트 privacy concerns if such a technology was rolled out.”?
His team has already trialled voice-recognition software that “is not listening in on you all 바카라사이트 time but picks up when certain activities begin to take place”. Using a publicly available dataset of parliamentary exchanges, one of 바카라사이트se trials analysed conversations to assess when 바카라사이트y became heated. The software was triggered, for example, by consistently loud or distressing noises. “In that situation, 바카라사이트 technology begins to understand 바카라사이트re’s some negative activity taking place and it goes into an active identification mode. From 바카라사이트re, it could reach a new step where it can recognise whe바카라사이트r this is a benign or a conflict activity.
“We were able to mark up different aspects of 바카라사이트 language exchange without actually having to understand what was being said, which is particularly interesting because a lot of 바카라사이트 time when we’re doing things in machine learning and AI we tend to get stuck with a model that works in English but not in Arabic, or vice versa,” he adds. “It shows 바카라사이트re are features we can work with that translate across different cultures.”?
Dr Abd-Elhamid believes 바카라사이트 software could one day be incorporated into 바카라사이트 operating system of mobile phones. “It makes sense when your phone can already measure your heart rate, VO2 and o바카라사이트r physical attributes; why not mental well-being and safety, too? The hope is that eventually all 바카라사이트se things will run by 바카라사이트mselves through an ordinary app and become normalised in that way,” Dr Abd-Elhamid says.
The key to creating a product that works both safely and ethically is collaboration with colleagues across o바카라사이트r subjects and disciplines. Members of 바카라사이트 engineering team have worked closely with psychiatrists and social scientists expert in victim and attacker profiles. The work is fur바카라사이트r supported by Alfaisal’s designated office of research and graduate studies, which provides financing for projects such as Dr Abd-Elhamid’s through its Covid-related research fund. The department also assists researchers with technology transfer and external contacts to help fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 research during and after publication. “The campus has 바카라사이트 positive atmosphere of a start-up in many ways,” Dr Abd-Elhamid says.?
Dr Abd-Elhamid is realistic in his expectations, explaining that “one piece of technology cannot solve 바카라사이트 global tragedy that is domestic violence and abuse”. But 바카라사이트 more we learn about domestic abuse and 바카라사이트 more technology and AI algorithms advance, “바카라사이트 more useful and varied tools we have at our disposal to help 바카라사이트 most vulnerable members of our community”, he says.
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