Artificial intelligence-based tools could help to catch a range of criminals and crimes on the internet.
New types of online AI tool could help make a substantial difference in spotting serious and dangerous crimes occurring on the internet.
Many of these crimes contribute to millions of deaths around the year every year.
A new form of online AI tool has the potential to help law enforcement personnel to spot illegal opioid sellers online. Equally, it could help to identify and locate counterfeits and even wildlife traffickers.
As a result, the United States government is investing in this type of artificial intelligence technology. To start, it will be applied to catching illegal internet opioid sales. That said, the use of the same tech and technique could also be applied to a spectrum of other illicit activities on the internet.
The United States government is seeking to use the online AI tool for the opioid public health crisis.
In the U.S. estimates show that an average of 130 people are dying every day from opioid-related drug overdoses. In 2018, there were 2 million people estimated to have had an opioid use disorder. Public officials in the country are seeking new and effective ways to control this public health crisis. This includes the use of technology to slash illegal controlled substance sales online.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institute on Drug Abuse is investigating the way the artificial intelligence-based tool could be applied for this purpose. It is examining the way it can trace “digital drug dealers” and track down illegal online pharmacies. It will include the way opioids are both marketed and sold on the internet.
While it acknowledges that online transactions don’t make up a large proportion of the total illegal opioid sales, it will help to make a difference. Moreover, it will also help law enforcement to become familiar with the capability of this technology so that it can later be applied to other illicit online activities.
The online AI tool may also one day be used for spotting transactions linked to illegal vaping products, wildlife traffickers, illegal gun sales, and counterfeit luxury products.