The What
For the average American, reporting suspicious activity (SAR) through non-emergency means, such as phone or static web forms, can be cumbersome––even uncomfortable––with little certainty about what details to report. These barriers often lead people to unintentionally withhold critical information, submit half-completed forms, or fail to report emerging threats at all. Citizens need modernized, low-pressure reporting methods that guide them as they share sensitive concerns and inform them when action has been taken on their reports. Law enforcement and threat analysts need reporting methods that enable them to gather concise, objective, and pertinent threat information, and follow up on anonymous tips when extra detail is needed.
TRUSTn is an AI chatbot developed specifically for Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) to empower concerned citizens, and provide law enforcement with concise, objective, and pertinent threat information. The custom chatbot is content trained by experts in the field of threat reporting to provide guided conversation, process natural language, and then determine what additional details it should ask. The simple-to-use intuitive application platform makes reporting easier and more accessible for the public while bringing higher-fidelity tips to threat analysts.
Mission Statement
We aim to provide a simple-to-use SAR platform that makes reporting easier and more accessible for the public, while bringing higher-fidelity tips to threat analysts. Our technology is designed to enhance the experience and quality of tips reporting with intuitive ongoing dialogue. Our mission is to improve the tips reporting process for all parties involved, with the ultimate goal of keeping our communities safer.
Technology: The How
Unlike traditional one-time reporting methods––a single form submission or one-off phone call to authorities––we believe that safety is best achieved through continued conversation. With our AI technology, the reporting process begins with conversational AI. After witnessing concerning activity, citizens can turn to guided conversation with a custom-built chatbot, which asks them specific questions about events they have witnessed. The chatbot processes natural language to determine what additional details it should ask about, bringing more complete information to analysis on the backend. All reports (even anonymous ones!) are linked to a unique ID that enables law enforcement, analysists, or other authorities to request additional information while preserving the identity of the reporting persons. In other words, they can kick the conversation back up if more information is needed to assess an emerging threat.
Use Cases
Citizen reporting of potential targeted violence:
A church member overhears someone in their community discuss their fascination with violent acts. Later, the person of concern jokes about inflicting harm on churchgoers. The witness is worried that the situation could escalate but is unsure of its severity. They discreetly submit an anonymous tip through the conversational agent. Eventually, the person of concern is seen checking out church cameras and mapping out the vicinity. Luckily, a law enforcement officer was able to follow up on the anonymous report and learn of the planning behavior, a sign of mobilizing toward violence. This leads to an initial investigation and eventual de-escalation of the situation.
Workplace reporting:
A military service member is discharged for misconduct. Upon hearing this news, the person grows hostile and makes explicit threats against military personnel. After a period of incarceration, an enlisted member notices him scouting the perimeter of their base. The witness reports him through the chatbot, which an analyst continues to request information through as they monitor the high-risk situation.