In response to a global appeal by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on July 30, innovators worldwide have developed three artificial intelligence (AI) applications aimed at combating human trafficking.
The launch coincided with the UN World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and the 100th anniversary of the 1926 Slavery Convention, the first global treaty to abolish slavery. Despite a century of efforts, an estimated 49.6 million people remain trapped in forced labour or forced marriage, with women and girls representing over 70% of identified victims and children accounting for one-third.
AI Innovations Target Critical Gaps in Anti-Trafficking Efforts
OHCHR highlighted three main challenges in the fight against trafficking: failure to reach vulnerable communities before fraudulent job offers, late identification of victims, and insufficient support for survivors. Each winning AI tool addresses one of these gaps:
- Project TEND—Developed by Petula Miller, this free, anonymous web application helps survivors prepare emotionally and practically for court proceedings without requiring personal details, enhancing access to justice globally in English and Spanish.
- Sentinel AI—Created by Remi Pelta, this tool assists job platforms, NGOs, and investigators by detecting suspicious recruitment ads that could indicate trafficking attempts, thereby preventing victimization before it starts.
- TRACE—Designed by Elke-Esmeralda Dikoume, TRACE aids frontline workers by converting spoken or written notes into structured case records in five languages, even offline, facilitating faster survivor identification and connection to support services.
These innovations were evaluated by experts from law enforcement, survivor support, human rights, AI engineering, and the UN Human Rights office. The initiative is set to become an annual event, with the next challenge scheduled for April 2027.
