At Technion Hackathon, Students Use AI To Track Suicidal Ideation

Students at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have just completed a three-day long hackathon, in which they developed AI platforms to detect the early signs of suicidal ideation in social media activity. 

First place in the competition went to the creators of a system that would use data gathered from social media to alert loved ones when someone is struggling with mental health, so that they would be more sensitive to the signs that precede acts of self-harm. 

The hackathon was part of research conducted by Technion students Shir Lisak and Ilanit Sobol, who are exploring how to recognize suicidal behaviors online.

Several welfare organizations joined the event, including Data for Good Israel, which uses AI to support social impact; ERAN, Israel’s emotional first aid service; and Gila’s Way, a nonprofit that offers education on mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

The event was funded with the help of the Israel Data Science Initiative (IDSI), Technion Social Hub and Tech-AI.

“People put more of themselves on social media than they realize,” said Prof. Avigdor Gal from the Technion’s Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences.

“In a three-day hackathon, students of the faculty tackled the challenge, looking for ways to recognize suicidal ideation and offer assistance. The hackathon is always dedicated to helping with a specific social issue,” he said.

“We cannot be blind to society around us, what is done with the tools we develop, how the data we collect is used. Our values must be part of the work we do.”