Kid-AID: How Chow Sze Uses AI to Fight Child Abuse

Seventeen-year-old student from St Mary’s Canossian College in Hong Kong, Chow Sze, creates technology that helps further efforts against child abuse

Child abuse is often hard to track, even with today’s nanny cams or baby monitors. It takes a while to recognize, and even then, we sometimes doubt ourselves unless the actions are blatantly obvious. The Philippines is also no stranger to child abuse; horror stories of yayas subjecting their wards to child abuse are often whispered from one parent to another.

So when Chow Sze created Kid-AID, many parents sighed with relief. This is the kind of AI that parents need—the one that protects their kids. The amazing part is, she built it in 6 months—from a laptop!

Meet the kids’ digital protector: Kid-AID

Unlike nanny cams and baby monitors that just catch the movements, Kid-AID is designed to flag “suspicious” movements and interactions. Crosshairs will appear on the video, flickering between orange, red, and green. Each color would indicate a danger level and what may look incredibly suspicious.

According to Tech Viral, 17-year-old Chow Sze was inspired after hearing many “tragic child abuse” cases. Many of them happened in day care centers, which are quite common in the bustling and business-centric Hong Kong. When the family becomes a dual-income one, it becomes part of the routine to bring the child to a daycare center for social interaction and proper supervision.

In the Philippines, it’s usually a spread between daycare centers, play schools, or just having a yaya at home. Parents often send their kids to daycare centers and play schools while they’re at work, so the kids aren’t bored. Yayas often do the same within the comforts of the home. However, some families have opted out of having a “yaya,” especially if they work from home.

Plus, with child abuse cases usually having the yaya or nanny as the culprit, many are afraid to hire one now unless they’re recommended by a family friend.

This is what AI looks like when used properly

We often use AI to make work easier—to the point some of us are guilty of generating art out of it. However, AI is not meant to replace humans. It’s there to make life easier, and Kid-AI makes parenting easier. When we’re not home or the kids are in a new place, Kid-AI can watch out for us. It may not be able to judge, but it’ll certainly help to stay vigilant a lot easier.

As of now, Kid-AI isn’t available on the market. But we’re hoping it will be. That way, homes and places will be a lot safer for kids.

More about AI or detecting child abuse?

Child Sexual Abuse in the Philippines: Why Hasn’t It Stopped?
Dear Families, Please Be Careful In Referring To AI
Abuse vs. Discipline: What are the Differences?