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AI Fights Cartel Violence: Hope for Mexico's Disappeared
16 Oct
Summary
- AI tools developed to help find over 134,000 missing Mexicans.
- One tool uses AI for facial age progression of missing minors.
- Another AI tool maps disappearances to refine search efforts.
In Mexico, a growing crisis of over 134,000 disappeared individuals, many lost to cartel violence, is now being addressed by artificial intelligence. Two universities are pioneering AI tools to aid families like Veronica Rosas', whose son Diego vanished in 2015. These initiatives aim to provide much-needed answers in cases that have long stalled.
The Regresa tool, developed by UNAM, focuses on updating the appearances of missing minors. It employs anthropometry and a unique image bank of Mexican features to generate age-progressed portraits, a crucial need for ongoing investigations. This contrasts with existing software that often lacks culturally specific data.
Anthropologist Ana Juarez explained Regresa scientifically models craniofacial growth. Meanwhile, Emiliano Zolla of Ibero-American University is using AI to map disappearance data. His work identifies patterns, such as young women disappearing en route to school or work, helping families focus their searches.
These AI advancements are seen as a significant development for families who often conduct their own investigations due to official inaction. Initiatives like 'peace boxes' by search collectives also continue to gather clues, offering a multi-faceted approach to finding the missing.
