Artificial intelligence often gets a bad rap.

But Pooya Moradian Zadeh in the School of Computer Science argues AI has a critical role to play in supporting societal challenges and contributing positively to various domains like the healthcare sector.

It’s been hard to miss stories about artificial intelligence (AI) in the media over recent months, and the coverage is by no means all positive, with AI appearing to threaten many industries.

“We know that there is a problem; social isolation is a significant challenge, which may limit many individuals’ ability to access the necessary resources they require," explains Dr. Zadeh. "The limited social connections and reduced community engagement associated with social isolation can create barriers, making it more challenging for people to reach and benefit from the support and resources essential to their well-being, and we felt that this was just the right place for AI and algorithms that could help to improve efficiency, and create positive social impact.”

The project started with a collaboration with Kathryn Pfaff from the Faculty of Nursing and the Windsor Essex Compassion Care Community (WECCC), a local program dedicated to helping elderly and vulnerable residents connect with services and resources.

Now, with additional resources from the Mitacs Accelerate program, the Health Commons Solutions Lab at Sinai Health, Community Support Centre of Essex County, and Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, the research team is actively exploring how technology tools and AI can be leveraged to address social isolation, a key factor in determining health outcomes, in combination with other hands-on, wrap-around supports.

Zadeh describes social isolation as a problem that can build slowly and damage the health and well-being of people in a variety of ways.

“During COVID, more people came to understand just how dangerous isolation and loneliness are to good health.”

The research team worked with their partners to develop an AI-based survey platform that can predict the risk of isolation early on. Once the potential for isolation is identified, the algorithm’s recommendation element kicks in.

Says Zadeh, “A report is generated with recommendations of actions they can take and resources that are available, but there is also an interactive dashboard tool for care providers to track, monitor, and predict the health and well-being of the community, allowing for early detection of potential issues before adverse effects become apparent.”

The project consists of multiple phases, with some already completed and others still under development, but WECCC has already integrated aspects of it to improve the ways they connect with their clients. The transition from manually sorting and analyzing static survey reports to AI tools and recommendations is proving to be time-saving and efficient.

Zadeh’s team has great ambitions for the project, envisioning innovative options for individual users and care providers to customize reports and recommendations, new ways to improve accessibility, expanded cultural and language aspects, and greater connection to community and online resources.

In the present iteration, the project is mainly focusing on senior and palliative care that is community oriented, but applications in mental health, medical practices, and even hospitals are all future possibilities.

He notes that the team and students working on the project are creative thinkers who want to have a positive impact on their communities and society.

“They are passionate about making a difference, and this project is helping them learn how they can do it.”

Learn more about the impactful research happening at the University of Windsor in the Research and Innovation in Action report.