How AI duo are transforming support for domestic violence survivors

Two artificial intelligence (AI) systems developed in South Wales are working in tandem to support those affected by trauma: one is a specialist training tool designed to help professionals navigate sensitive conversations around violence and abuse, while the other offers discreet mental health support for people in regions where speaking openly remains a challenge.

ANA – an AI system developed by the University of South Wales (USW) to support mental health issues among people who live in regions of the world where discussing such subjects remain taboo – and AVA – another AI system developed by Cardiff-based Goggleminds, are collaborating on the violence and abuse support venture.

In a project led by Dr Mabrouka Abuhmida, Senior Lecturer in Computing and Mathematical Sciences at USW, ANA was developed to support mental health challenges of people who live in communities where discussing such issues is frowned upon.

“There are places in the world where people, particularly men, are unable to discuss their mental health – it is seen as taboo to raise the issue, or even worse to talk about it further," Dr Abuhmida said.

“We developed ANA to be a listening ear in these patriarchal societies, and to offer those who needed it a chance to raise issues and talk about them without the fear of being harshly judged.”

AVA was developed by Goggleminds in response to a call from the Northern Ireland Executive Office and its Strategic Investment Board, which sought innovative solutions which could harness technology to tackle the scourge of violence against women and girls. Goggleminds was awarded the contract to create a system designed to support professional training in this critical area.

Azize Naji, who established Goggleminds, explained how the AI system has been developed to support those who are in the frontline when interacting with women and girls who are survivors of violence and abuse.

“AVA is specifically designed to simulate real-life interactions, helping professionals refine their conversational skills in high-stakes scenarios,” he said.

“Traditionally, training in this area has relied on survivors sharing their experiences, which poses ethical concerns regarding re-traumatisation, while healthcare professionals, law enforcement officers, educators, and judicial system representatives have often struggled in handling such sensitive discussions.

“AVA provides a scalable and responsible alternative, enabling professionals to hone their skills without putting survivors through repeated distress.”

Having initially focused on using virtual reality to train medical professionals, Goggleminds has since expanded into AI-driven solutions. Azize explained the differences between the two systems.

“Unlike VR-based training, which focuses on visual and contextual awareness, AVA is purely cognitive, emphasising active listening, empathy, and appropriate response mechanisms,” he said.

“As it has developed, AVA has been able to learn how to respond dynamically, understanding the emotional undertones of every conversation to provide realistic, emotionally resonant replies.

“The research carried out by Dr Abuhmida fitted in perfectly with our system, and using them together made total sense, with the USW AI being able to provide the support services, and our system the experience of the survivors, which meant that both could develop their expertise.”

This AI collaboration between USW and Goggleminds is the pair’s latest tech partnership, which started when the USW-based Centre of Excellence in Mobile and Emerging Technologies (CEMET) helped develop Goggleminds’ virtual reality technology for training medics and students. There was a further collaboration when USW academics helped to develop a system for Goggleminds which provides clinical skills training in VR to healthcare professionals in Uganda.

This latest project has further connections with USW, with a number of the University’s AI Masters degree graduates employed in Goggleminds’ newly-established AI department.

These strong links have supported the development of the violence and abuse training system, and have been a major help to Azize as he looks to scale the solution.

“Having worked closely with USW on a number of previous projects, I knew first-hand of the expertise available at the University,” he said.

“Being able to bring ANA and AVA together has further strengthened these ties, and I’m looking forward to continuing to strengthen our collaborations in future.”

Caption: The AI graduates from the University of South Wales with Azize Naji (second right) and Dr Mabrouka Abuhmida