Chatbot

IWF reThink Chatbot

We’re building an interactive chatbot which aims to curb the demand for online child sexual abuse material. It will interrupt people trying to access this imagery and prevent them from committing a criminal offence.

In 2020, the End Violence Fund announced that they will fund this two-year project. The IWF reThink Chatbot will interact with internet users who are showing signs that they might be looking for images of child sexual abuse. It will attempt to engage them in a friendly and supportive conversation, and at the right moment, signpost them to the help and intervention support that they need.

The reThink chatbot will then refer people to our partner organisation, The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, who will help them change and control their behaviour.

Our developers have already created a functioning proof-of-concept prototype. To help us, we’re gathering some of the world’s best minds and technology experts. Among them will be a forensic linguistic specialist, who will assist our developers with the coding and design the conversation script and flow.

This project aims to roll-out a pilot by the end of 2021 with a full operational roll-out in 2022. We believe that this project has massive potential and will help in our proactive fight against online child sexual abuse and exploitation.