The Telegraph My details My newsletters Logout Upgrade to Premium My details My newsletters Logout The Telegraph Facebook to use artificial intelligence to combat suicides help connect a person in distress with people who can support them Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg 1 March 2017 • 3:37pm Facebook will use artificial intelligence to spot users who may be at risk of suicide, telling people to talk to friends or contact a helpline if their posts show signs that they may be considering taking their own lives.
 Suicide prevention services have been available on Facebook for more than 10 years, but it is now testing artificial intelligence as a way of identifying users who may be at risk.
 Its algorithm will flag up posts that are likely to include thoughts of suicide, Facebook said, by using pattern recognition on previous posts that have been reported.
 Reporting tools will now also be integrated into Facebook Live, so people who are watching the video will be able to report it and “reach out to the person directly”.
 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Credit: REUTERS/Stephen Lam The news follows the death of Naika Venant, a 14-year-old girl who used the social media platform to livestream her suicide in January.
 “There is one death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15 to 29-year-olds,” the company said.
 “Facebook is in a unique position - through friendships on the site - to help connect a person in distress with people who can support them.
 “Today we are updating the tools and resources we offer to people who may be thinking of suicide, as well as the support we offer to their concerned friends and family members.
” Through its suicide prevention tools, Facebook users can be prompted to reach out to a friend who they believe may be in need of support, while it also suggests contacting a helpline.
 Those tools have been developed alongside mental health organisations such as Save.
org and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and last year were rolled out globally.
 If a video is reported to Facebook, the social media giant will able to reach out to emergency workers if the person is in imminent danger.
 As part of its suicide prevention tools, Facebook allows people to connect with crisis workers over Messenger.
 As of Wednesday, people will see the option to message someone in real time directly from the organisation’s page or through suicide prevention tools.
 Earlier this month, Facebook launched a new feature to help people find basics such as food, water and shelter when natural disasters strike.
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