How Meta AI is collaborating with UP Police to prevent another suicide attempt, Adarsh ​​shares all the details…

Since January 2023, Meta – the parent company of Instagram and Facebook – has been using its AI feature and partnering with the Uttar Pradesh Police to prevent suicides. In the latest such episode, AI Meta partnered with the UP Police to prevent the suicide of a 21-year-old woman in Lucknow.

How Her Life Was Saved

It all started when a woman — a resident of a small village on Sultanpur Road in Lucknow — posted a video on her Instagram. The video shows the woman standing on a chair with a red dupatta from a ceiling fan tied around her neck, preparing to commit suicide.

Within minutes of the video being shared, Meta AI flagged it as “concerning” and alerted the police. Upon receiving the alert, the police immediately contacted the Nigoha police station, which dispatched officers to the woman’s location within 4 minutes.

Image Source: Meta AI

“The team, led by Station-in-Charge Anuj Tiwari, took around four minutes to reach the address. The team reached the woman’s house at 12.15 pm and immediately rushed inside to rescue her,” Rajnish Verma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mohanlalganj, told PTI.

During the interrogation, it was found that the woman was in a love marriage with a 23-year-old man named Aman. They got married in an Arya Samaj temple and lived together for 4 months. However, after 4 months, the man left her and refused to recognize their marriage, which led to her committing suicide.

“A case has also been registered against the man for abetting suicide. The video of the suicide attempt has also been deleted from the woman’s social media page,” added the ACP, who also confirmed that the woman’s condition is currently stable.

Apparently, even as the woman was preparing to commit suicide, her family was unaware of her actions. Police are in constant contact with the woman, who has been receiving counseling from female officers since her recovery.

How AI Helps Stop Suicides

Image Source: Meta AI

As mentioned earlier, this is not the first time that Meta AI has come to the aid of preventing suicide attempts. Between January 2023 and August 2024, Meta AI has intervened and alerted the UP police in 740 such cases and has successfully saved 457 lives so far.

When such a video is posted on Instagram or Facebook, Meta AI immediately notifies the Social Media Center at the headquarters of the General Directorate of Police (DGP). This center works around the clock, and the alert is immediately processed and used via the Internet to locate the person and other relevant details. This information is then shared with the nearest police station, where officers immediately take action and effectively save lives.

“We are extremely happy that we saved over 400 lives with our quick response to alerts from Meta,” DGP Prashant Kumar told TOI. “Despite challenges like ambiguous locations or switched off phones, our teams worked tirelessly to reach out to the needy. This collaborative effort between law enforcement and technology proved effective in saving lives and providing critical support in times of crisis.”

The last word

This news from UP is another example of how AI can be used for good. As DGP mentioned, such collaboration between technology and law enforcement can be the difference between life and death. It highlights AI’s potential to save lives when used responsibly and collaboratively.

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