Can artificial intelligence help prevent live-streamed suicides?

A recent increase in the live-streaming of suicides have Facebook executives taking matters of prevention into their own hands and the hands of artificial intelligence.

Live-streaming video that is played on users' Facebook pages and their friends newsfeeds has become a platform for broadcasting suicides. In an effort to prevent these tragedies before they happen, Facebook is building suicide prevention tools into their live-streaming service. People concerned about the live-stream are then able to report the video and contact Facebook. The person live streaming will then receive a notification including prevention material and live chat support.

“There have been terribly tragic events—like suicides, some live streamed—that perhaps could have been prevented if someone had realized what was happening and reported them sooner,” wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a mid-February statement. “Artificial intelligence can help provide a better approach.”