It is a difficult topic to discuss, but the prevention of abuse to children is a lifechanging occurrence that data can impact for the better, which is what the Trilateral Research team have done. Trilateral Research launched CESIUM in March 2023 after five years of developing ethical AI and leveraging research to use data for good. CESIUM is a platform that supports the critical work safeguarding children from exploitation by giving near real-time access to multi-agency data and decision support tools. Trilateral Research has been working closely with Lincolnshire Police which has provided forecasts for at least a 400% increase in operational capacity and the early identification of vulnerability.
Child exploitation is a form of abuse that is often hidden in plain sight, with many children not even realising they are being subjected to it. Consequently, reporting is partial, and quantifying the number of victims is challenging. Trilateral Research has been working hard and collaborating with Lincolnshire Police to better detect something that is often a struggle to see.
“Managing very complex data issues.” – Judges’ comment
CESIUM was developed in response to unreliable and difficult reporting of exploitation. Trilateral Research identified that it was positioned to support critical decision making through its understanding of data, innovative AI developments and bespoke software solutions that ultimately protect children. The software utilised harnessed data from existing agency databases and streamlined the approach to analysis and reporting as one of the major historic issues is that serious case reviews and safeguarding policies have identified poor information exchange between agencies as a consistent factor in safeguarding failures. The result of this was that CESIUM could provide a bespoke software solution that enables early identification of children at risk, ultimately saving lives.
“A successful, positive use of AI.” – Judges’ comment
By collaborating with Lincolnshire Police, Trilateral Research identified that data sharing was the biggest hurdle to face as there are, by its very nature, countless privacy controls on the dissemination of data regarding vulnerable children. The team developed bespoke procedures to ensure that the management and processing of data was fully adhered to throughout the solution whilst simultaneously removing time-consuming desk-based tasks that allowed more resources for the proactive protection of children.
So far, Trilateral Research have 133 partnerships remaining. Supporting these partnerships is no small feat but the team are passionate and excited about the challenge. When the public purse strings are tighter than ever; this level of operational gain cannot be overlooked. For anyone who is socially conscious and can comprehend the potential that CESIUM presents, the implications are profound, and it can develop into so much more in the coming years.
