Eva: An AI Chatbot Offering Insights into Incarcerated Women in Paraguay
María Fretes, a Paraguayan social worker, sought deeper understanding of the lives of incarcerated women in her country. This curiosity led her to Eva, an innovative artificial intelligence-powered chatbot. Developed by El Surtidor, a Paraguayan independent multimedia news outlet, Eva offers a unique perspective on the experiences of imprisoned women, a subject often shrouded in secrecy. This project, relevant to African tech innovation, highlights the potential of AI to bridge information gaps and foster empathy, even within the challenging context of the justice system.
How Eva Works: Bridging the Digital Divide in Prison Reform
Eva’s development involved a team of journalists and user experience designers who trained the AI to respond to inquiries. The chatbot’s knowledge base comes from insights provided by an incarcerated woman awaiting sentencing for international trafficking and organized crime. The woman’s identity and identifying details were not made public to protect her privacy. Since its launch in September, Eva has generated more than 15,500 interactions within Paraguay, showcasing its popularity as a tool for inquiry. Fretes found the chatbot particularly effective, stating she felt comfortable asking intimate questions she wouldn’t dare to pose to anyone in person. This innovative approach demonstrates the possibilities of AI to provide a secure and accessible avenue for exploring difficult topics relevant to women’s rights and prison reform.
In conclusion, Eva represents a significant step forward in utilizing AI to offer insights into the lives of marginalized populations. The project demonstrates the potential of technology to foster empathy and understanding, providing a space for dialogue and potentially impacting social change and justice systems, a growing area of interest for tech developers across Africa.
Keywords
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