Artificial intelligence is rapidly being adopted to help prevent abuse and protect vulnerable people ' including children in foster care, adults in nursing homes and students in schools. These tools promise to detect danger in real time and alert authorities before serious harm occurs. Developers are using natural language processing, for example ' a form of AI that interprets written or spoken language ' to try to detect patterns of threats, manipulation and control in text messages. This information could help detect domestic abuse and potentially assist courts or law enforcement in early intervention. Some child welfare agencies use predictive modeling, another common AI technique, to calculate which families or individuals are most 'at risk' for abuse. When thoughtfully implemented, AI tools have the potential to enhance safety and efficiency. For instance, predictive models have assisted social workers to prioritize high-risk cases and intervene earlier. But as a social worker...
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