According to a recent article on the popular technology website, RECODE, our federal government is investing in an AI-based software tool that would help catch illegal opioid sellers on the Internet. But the same approach could find lots of other illegal transactions.
Bob Larson
An estimated 130 people die from opioid-related drug overdoses each day in the United States, plus 2 million people had an opioid related disorder in 2018. This public health crisis has left officials searching for ways to reduce or eliminate illegal drugs including online sales.
Now the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, is investing in an artificial intelligence-based tool to track how digital drug dealers and illegal Internet pharmacies market and sell opioids.
New AI-based software on searching for illegal opioid sales demonstrate how publicly available social media and Internet content you post online can be used to find illegal transactions. It could also be used to track other illegal activities too. The NIDA based tool could be used to find online transactions associated with illegal wildlife traffickers, human traffickers, vaping products, counterfeit luxury products, and much more!
As with most technical innovations, these tools pose concerns, too. For instance, drug policy experts caution that in the case of online opioid sales, such AI tools depending on how they’re ultimately used by law enforcement in deterring low-level drug sellers or even buyers. They also emphasize that these tools won’t ultimately reduce the demand for these substances. Regardless, this is another great use of technology helping solve our planet’s many problems!
~ Bob Larson is a technologist and Marketing Director for 50 Plus Media Solutions.