AI and Preventing Suicide

Suicide rates surged to a 30 year high in 2014, and medical professionals can't seem to find a solution quick enough. AI has the potential to identify those at risk through social media more accurately, allowing medical professionals to intervene before it's too late. Facebook already uses an algorithm to analyze text posts, and allows users to flag posters as at risk for self harm.

There is a huge potential for AI to do well, but there comes the question of privacy in this. At what point does prevention become invasion? Will we drive a whole generation of mentally ill people to become digital hermits in an effort to not be spied on? There is a lot of potential, but also a lot of potential problems.