Artificial Intelligence is a computer program that has been trained to perform a particular task based on users’ requirement. It is gaining momentum in various industries due to its efficiency, reliability, and ease of decision-making process. In the recent years though, Government of India has been continuously striving to see its relevance for the women’s safety in India. With AI-powered cameras to numerous women’s safety apps, the women safety technology market in India is flooded after the 2012 Delhi Rape incident.
How do Women Safety Apps work?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the power to collect, recognize and interpret patterns. And based upon these patterns, AI makes suggestions to the users, using its capability for their own safety. Women safety apps powered with AI and Machine Learning capabilities will collect data and patterns over a period of time and will, later on, provide other users with pre-generated reports – when they take a particular route to their destination.
For example – When a user (women) is using an AI-powered safety app, she will want to know the best and safest possible route to their destination. Let’s say; there are 5 different routes that can be used to reach the destination. The app will evaluate all of the routes based on previously collected data. The evaluation of all of the possible routes will be based on various criteria.
These criteria could be security in the area, an average number of people during the particular time of the day, previous women harassment cases in the area and so on. In general, the app will interact with several areas leading to the destination and will generate a report based on that interaction and criteria, for the user to see and make which route is the safest of all.
Many of the women safety apps which are already available in the market like safetipin, ask users to submit their feedback and experiences, pertaining to the security in a particular area. Using these feedbacks and experiences, the apps can generate a heat map. Higher the number of harassment cases in a particular area, darker will be the red spots on the heat map.
This will indicates other users to not to take the particular (darker red spots) route. Other users of the app will be able to assess the heat map and can avoid visiting the place if they find it unsafe. AI-powered apps reduce the user’s blind spot and allow them to make well-informed decisions.
The functionality of the AI Powered Women Safety App.
With the power of AI and real-time data collection, these safety apps are geared to collect and make notes of locations, as one travels through various locations leading to the destination. In other sense, these apps create a digital footmark along the entire route of the commute. This digital footmark can then be used by your guardians to locate you, in case of any unpleasant activity. The app collects information about the route you are travelling, catches surrounding voices and images, if and when it is triggered.
Many apps require users to unlock the cell phones and then act the safety app. However, SAWDHAAN App can be triggered using any of the volume buttons. Making the entire digital trail process, even simpler. These women safety apps require you to populate the personal information of three guardians, at the time of app registration.
This is done because, when you trigger the app during any unpleasant activity experienced by you in your travel, the app starts to collect data (as described above), and generates a report based on it, to be sent to the guardians, you selected. In addition to this, these apps also provide with the call functionality to your primary guardian on their cell phones. All you have to do is trigger the app, and be assured that your guardians are coming to rescue you, using the digital footprints you left behind.
How Useful Are These Apps?
Unfortunately and fortunately, extremely!
Unfortunately, because India is ranked the most dangerous country in terms of women safety (According to a report published by the Thomson Reuters Foundation).
Fortunately because, India knows how to harness the power of technologies like AI and Machine Learning, to make India a better and safer place to live.
These apps can turn out to be a lifesaver. As a woman or anyone else, if you feel you are in distress and could be a victim of sexual harassment, violence or molestation, all you need to do is trigger the app and help will definitely follow in quick time.
In addition to this, you can also select the most appropriate route for your destination based on user recommendations and heat map, to avoid trouble completely. Select the route which is more crowded with people throughout the day and has the least number of reported incidents in the area.
With the silent and instant SOS functionality, the future and use of such apps can be of great benefit to users and women’s in particular. Technology can help India be a better place to live and so can we. The feedbacks and reports about user’s journey through a particular location can help such app develop and provide a recommendation to others.
Wrapping Up
AI has the power to solve very complex problems and comes with the ability to enable decision making, being more prudent. Harnessing the true capabilities of AI and Machine Learning for Women’s safety all around the world can be of ultimate success and importance. AI and Machine Learning powered apps can definitely help prevent sexual harassment, violence, and molestation around us. Let’s be proactive rather than being reactive, with the usage of such AI-powered apps.
About The Author
Syed Asif Sultan, CEO and Co-Founder Satak Support
Syed is an experienced professional with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. His business acumen in the areas of SEO, Service Delivery, Technical Support, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Customer Satisfaction are unmatched in the industry.
AI and Women Safety Apps
