Canada/City of Ottawa turns to AI to better manage homelessness issues
Ottawa is the latest city to turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to manage its homelessness crisis.
The city is partnering with a Carleton University researcher who is working on a system that predicts a person's risk of chronic homelessness.
The system will use data on people experiencing homelessness, including age, gender, Aboriginal and citizenship status, as well as factors such as the number of times they have ever been refused shelter services.
It will also use external data such as weather information and economic indicators.
The Ottawa project follows a similar initiative in London, Ontario, and Los Angeles, California.
However, experts warn that while AI could help detect at-risk individuals, it poses issues of confidentiality and subjectivity.
An assistant professor at Western University, Luke Stark, is working on a project investigating the use of data and AI for homelessness policies in Canada.
He argues that new technologies can risk obscuring the root causes of the problem and preventing politicians from thinking about solutions.
Source: ici.radio-canada.ca
