Social Policy Minister declares \u2018zero intention\u2019 to convert 179 helpline to AI service<\/p>\n
The Minister for Social Policy and Children’s Rights, Michael Falzon, told Parliament on Wednesday that the 179 helpline shall continue being run by people and that there is “zero intention” for the emergency national helpline to utilise artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
Minister Falzon noted that the 179 helpline is one that hears many “very dramatic cases,” e.g., child abuse, elderly abuse, and people considering taking their own lives in their most vulnerable moments. <\/p>\n
He told the House that the 179 support line is worked by people and will continue to be handled by individuals. The Social Policy Minister remarked that “any mechanism, no matter how intelligent it is, can change a person,” noting the sensitivity of the cases heard over the national helpline.<\/p>\n
“There is zero intention to convert this helpline to AI – it is run by people,” Minister Falzon said.<\/p>\n
He added that as good as artificial intelligence can be and how positive it is marketed, it will not solve everything.<\/p>\n
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Chatbox to be added to 179 support<\/b><\/p>\n
While answering this parliamentary question, Minister Falzon disclosed that the government will be adding a chatbox service to bolster 179 support services.<\/p>\n
He declared that an online chatbox will be introduced for people who feel more comfortable texting and chatting online, rather than phoning someone up, so that all kinds of people can comfortably reach out for emergency assistance should they need it.<\/p>\n
Here, the Minister reiterated that people using this emergency chatbox will speak to human agents, and not AI chatbots.<\/p>\n
Minister Falzon said this in response to an oral parliamentary question that was asked by government MP Amanda Spiteri Grech on the helpline’s operations.<\/p>\n