Tech
Ruth Debuts as the First Trauma-Informed AI Guardian
Ruth, market’s first public-facing AI tool that provides trauma-informed support instantly detects tech abuse and offers practical technology guidance.
In January, the FBI issued warnings on increased instances of Sextortion–offenders coercing minors to create and send sexually explicit images or videos which they then threaten to release unless “the victim produces more” or pays. Most sexual gratification extortions target 14-17-year-old males. Between October 2021 and March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations “received over 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors” involving nearly 12,600 victims—”primarily boys”—leading to “at least 20 suicides.” The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) had “26,718 reports of financial sextortion in 2023”–a drastic increase from the 10,731 in the previous year.
When a 16-year-old American teen faced a sextortion, she spiraled into total panic wondering how to explain her circumstances to her stern parents. A friend recommended Ruth–a newly released AI-powered chat tool launched by the non-profit startup The Parasol Cooperative. As the “digital guardian,” Ruth provided information on a local professional advocate organization where the teenager received appropriate guidance and support.
No other public-facing AI tool in the market is trained to provide trauma-informed support by instantly detecting abuse from the conversation and offering practical technology guidance, a safety plan, and contacts of local, professional advocates for further assistance.
How Ruth Works
As an “an ode to Ruth Bader Ginsburg” the nine-member Parasol team–comprised of survivors, advocates, technologists, marketing, engineering, and product development professionals–made sure Ruth’s training was largely based on input from advocates and survivors to safeguard users and their loved ones from tech predators.
“Ruth embodies justice and empowerment through knowledge for the public. It is designed to help users combat tech-enabled abuse by providing information and resources to navigate the often confusing and anxiety-inducing world of technology, ensuring they and their loved ones remain safe online, all in their preferred language,” says IT veteran, survivor, and Parasol founder, Megs Shah, whose concern with safeguarding
her teenage son’s online activity and gaming safety and her work with survivors and advocates facing increased tech-enabled abuse, is the driving force behind Ruth’s design.
With increased instances of tech used to inflict abuse, Shah believes “we all need to become more ruthless about our safety, security, and data privacy since that’s the only way for criminals and abusers to get to us in any meaningful way.”
While “not a self-learning AI” Ruth is trained with a data set tailored to assist a specific mission. As a large language model powered AI chatbot, it supports 80+ languages which means it can expand its global reach by serving diverse, non-English speakers who when in need, can easily connect to their local, professional organizations that have an online presence. Its “more personable” responses are accessible even for non-technical, elderly parents–like Shah’s 70-year-old mother who used Ruth to set up her two-factor authentication and Netflix on her new TV in India.
To mitigate AI-related risks, Ruth’s rigorous data privacy protocols and continuous ethical compliance monitoring, incorporate expert and user feedback to ensure responsible and secure AI interactions. Ruth only collects basic geographical information like country, and whether a chat was initiated (but not the content of the chat)– basic usage data that helps the team understand user adoption–without any information or data about the user.
Parasol’s #Tech2Protect Mission
Shah underscores how Ruth doesn’t replace advocates and therapists, but is more like a “knowledgeable friend” and a support system that connects victims and survivors to their local, regional, and national support services to obtain professional help. Victim services organizations can now incorporate digital safety planning into their regular safety planning with survivors. Individuals, or small non-profits needing tech advice, can use Ruth as their personal “IT help desk” and share their feedback on their experience or any issues they faced which helps the Parasol team with continued product improvements.
“Ruth reminds us of the transformative potential of innovation when it’s wielded for good. It stands as a beacon of hope and safety, empowering individuals and communities to reclaim their digital lives from the shadows of exploitation and abuse,” Shah says Ruth is a lifeline, and a testament to what can be accomplished with a blend of “empathy, expertise, and cutting-edge technology.”
Parasol’s #Tech2Protect mission has led the team’s launch of other programs including the Technology Empowerment Fund (TEF) which enables small nonprofits to request grants for tech product purchases to improve their impact. And SafeConnect, Parasol’s innovative case management and companion survivor app, puts the control of service request in the hands of survivors. SafeConnect was a response to, and the founding product of the organization in 2020, when the global uptick of Gender Based Violence became the “shadow pandemic” as survivors remained locked in with their abusers.
Ultimately, a deep-dive understanding of pain points and real-world needs faced by survivors and advocates drives Parasol’s solutions. Shah is excited about future possibilities, and is onboarding new team members to accelerate the building and delivery of future innovative products which she says is “only possible because of forward-thinking donors” and invites philanthropists committed to tech safety to join their #Tech2Protect mission.
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