Umibot to help web users report image-based abuse

Researchers from RMIT have launched a new chatbot designed to help people report cases of imaged-based abuse such as revenge porn.

The new Umibot chatbot is designed to help people falling victim to image-based abuse navigate the process of filing a report or complaint, presenting them with options for reporting and tips on collecting evidence as well as keeping safe online.

Users can type questions for Umibot or select from a set of options. Umibot will also ask users to identify whether they are under 18 and if they are seeking help for someone else.

Lead researcher and Umibot designer Professor Nicola Henry from RMIT University’s Social and Global Studies Centre said the chatbot is also designed for reporting deepfake content generated using AI, or incidents where people are pressured into creating sexual content or are sent unsolicited sexual images.

“It's a huge violation of trust that’s designed to shame, punish or humiliate. It’s often a way for perpetrators to exert power and control over others,” Henry said. “A lot of victim-survivors we talked to just want the issue to go away and the content to be taken down or removed but often they don’t know where to go for help.”

The chatbot was created by Henry and RMIT Research Fellow Dr Alice Witt with the support of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship grant in collaboration with Melbourne-based digital agency Tundra. It is powered by Amazon’s AI chatbot service Amazon Lex.

Image credit: iStock.com/tolgart