Evaluating the Impact of SnehAI Chatbot on Internet Safety and Digital Resilience

Client: Population Foundation of India
Location:Online

Background Context:
In recent years, India has witnessed significant growth in internet access, with over 50% of the populace having access, according to a joint report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI) and KANTAR (2022). Despite the benefits of the Internet, such as improving access and reaching the last mile, its proliferation poses challenges such as electronic duality, information asymmetry, and fragmented personal self, among others. Adolescents, constituting 5% of Indian Facebook users, are vulnerable to online abuse. Interpol reported 2.4 million instances of online child sexual abuse and exploitation (OCSEA) in India from 2017 to 2020. In response to the growing cases of OCSEA, the Population Foundation of India created SnehAI, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven chatbot on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. SnehAI engages adolescents on internet safety, sexual health, and reproductive health through stories, quizzes, and videos, aiming to boost their digital resilience.

Objectives

  1. Measure the difference in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions on OCSEA between users and non-users of SnehAI
  2. Assess the reach and engagement of SnehAI users with the OCSEA and digital safety content
  3. Understand user experience and feedback on using the SnehAI chatbot

Approach and Methodology

Given the objectives, a quasi-experimental single difference, mixed-method approach was adopted for the evaluation, comprising two data sets: primary and secondary. Secondary data included a literature review and the analysis of platform data. Meanwhile, primary data included quantitative online surveys and qualitative interactions with the Population Foundation of India program team.

Impact

The evaluation’s insights and recommendations will enable the Population Foundation of India to redesign the chatbot. Based on the insights on the reach and engagement of the chatbot, the content of the chatbot will be revised, and new features will be added.

[Tags: Population Foundation of India, online evaluation, chatbot, educational chatbot, online survey, intervention group, comparison group]

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