Seattle nonprofit fights online hook-up crimes with talk bots

With the help of volunteer programmers from Microsoft, Robert Beiser and his group "Seattle Against Slavery" are creating talk bots to pose as online hookup workers to help deter sex-trafficking crimes. (Photo: KOMO News)

SEATTLE – A local nonprofit is using chat-bot technology to scare people if they attempt to buy lovemaking online.

With the help of volunteer programmers from Microsoft, Robert Beiser and his group "Seattle Against Slavery" are creating talk bots to pose as online lovemaking workers.

The software permits talk bots to be assigned an age, racial background, even a neighborhood where it works. Those characteristics can come up in the course of text conversations that take place inbetween the talk bots and would-be lovemaking buyers.

“And the bot said, ‘I’m still fourteen and a little jumpy but you seem nice,’ and then it gives some rates for the thing,” said Beiser as he walked a reporter through a latest talk bot conversation.

Once the person signals an intent to buy hook-up, the bot fires back a stern warning.

"Soliciting hookup from a minor is a felony. Buying hook-up from anyone is illegal," it reads.

The message goes on to say that the person may be contacted by law enforcement. They are also told to not attempt to buy hookup again, and are then provided with contact information if they would like to get help.

Beiser hopes the deterrent messages are enough to keep some people from ever attempting to solicit lovemaking online again. He says it strips away the anonymity afforded by the Internet, and lets would-be buyers know they are being observed.

Beiser credits local police with doing a good job dealing with lovemaking trafficking, but points out they are challenged by limited resources. On the other mitt, he said the software never rests.

“With the bot, this can be everywhere on the Internet having conversations, thousands of conversations, all the time,” he said.

Beiser said they’ve had more than a thousand chat-bot interactions with lovemaking buyers, and are working to refine the system so they can share the technology with other cities.

Seattle Against Slavery is also using technology to help hook-up trafficking victims. Bots can seek out people who post lovemaking ads online and suggest services. Beiser said more than four hundred people so far have responded.

For more information about this effort, check out the nonprofit’s website. There are also resources to help people who want to stop soliciting lovemaking.

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