Nittany AI Advance offers internships that enable students with some AI or machine learning experience to develop AI solutions for real-world challenges through team-based projects. By collaborating with industry and nonprofit partners, students gain valuable experience and showcase their skills, enhancing their career prospects. Advance internships drive innovation and allow industry partners to identify and recruit top talent while addressing critical issues. We’ll be sharing stories about the Advance student experience on the Nittany AI Alliance blog each semester.
During the spring 2024 semester, former Nittany AI Advance intern Slade Crane documented the experiences of the World Hope Advance project team as they were nearing the completion of their project.
In spring 2024, Nittany AI Advance partnered with World Hope International and Dr. Amulya Yadav, assistant professor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology and director of the RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Emancipation) Lab at Penn State, to create a proof of concept applying artificial intelligence to support the case management of survivors of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) in the Philippines. World Hope International is a charitable organization that provides an array of services to poverty-stricken areas. From enhancing education to helping communities gain access to clean drinking water, they have done work all around the world.
The Nittany AI Advance team is currently collaborating with World Hope’s caseworkers in the Philippines. These caseworkers are dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse, as they monitor these cases. To assist them, the Nittany AI Advance students were tasked with developing an AI-powered app that organizes each child’s case and effectively generates and summarizes case reports to facilitate quick reviews and follow-ups.
“Our goal is to help the caseworkers easily fill out the forms,” says Kashvi Prawal, a second-year World Hope Nittany AI Advance team member studying computer science, “and also keep it organized…”
The caseworkers face the daunting task of managing a mix of digital and handwritten records, a time-consuming activity that diverts attention from aiding more children. The introduction of this app aims to digitize, streamline, and organize this process, greatly enhancing caseworker productivity.
Harsh Maheshwari, also in his second-year majoring in computer science and math, comments on the efficiency of the current system: “It’s very slow, so we are trying to develop an app to make the process fast enough and efficient enough so that it helps the children and is better for the caseworkers.”
As the World Hope project progresses, there’s still much to be done, particularly in the technical arena with backend tasks such as integrating AI within the app. While the user interface has come a long way, ongoing development is focused on meeting the specific needs of the caseworkers.
Harsh worked on the front end and back end of the project, and worked directly with World Hope to implement their ideas, but it hasn’t been easy. “When we showcased the UI, the World Hope workers were very specific about why certain screens were there or why something was different from what they were thinking of.”
One of the more challenging aspects of this project was the highly sensitive nature of the data being organized, often preventing the Nittany AI Advance team from direct access. Kashvi notes the significance of this challenge: “A lot of times there is a disconnect between the Philippines and us because of the information given or held. It’s very important and crucial that we cannot mess up on the details at all.”
Both Kashvi and Harsh speak highly of their experience with Nittany AI Advance and World Hope. According to Kashvi, the program has a “real world” feel that is preparing the team for future jobs with the skills it teaches, like gaining time- and people-management skills, creating a project that will be used for an important task, and interacting with teams all across the globe. “This is my first time working in a professional environment,” Harsh stated, “everything being set and documented and stuff is new to me.” While interviewing Harsh and Kashvi, I could immediately tell by the way they carried themselves that the “real world” experiences had impacted them greatly.
For Kashvi, the involvement with Nittany AI Advance has been, in her own words, “a very great experience,” primarily due to the unique opportunities that extend beyond her regular course work. Her engagement with the project has caught the attention of recruiters from both academic institutions and businesses alike. During interviews, her contribution to World Hope serves as a highlight, showcasing the application of AI for social good.
While some may find the concept of AI somewhat overwhelming, the World Hope project serves as a testament to its beneficial impact. Kashvi conveys her pride in the venture, remarking, “It is amazing to just be able to tell everyone that I am working on a project that is good for the world.” The project stands as evidence of AI’s vast potential, with outcomes that can truly make a difference.