Can AI help in finding missing children in India? Here's how it works

Technology has the power to accomplish extraordinary tasks, like using AI tools to find missing children. 

This has already been proven effective in countries like Kenya, where 496 missing children were located in just four years with similar technology.

Now, this effort is starting in India as well. An AI creator named Sahid SK from West Bengal has partnered with the Rajasthan police to help find missing children.

When the police approached him about recreating old, faded photos of missing kids, he saw a chance to use AI for a meaningful purpose.

He imagined how the missing children might look today using AI tools, making it easier for people to identify them after many years.

“I received old, faded pictures where the children's faces were hard to see. I used AI and age-progression technology to reconstruct their faces and estimate how they would appear now. It was challenging, but the thought of reuniting families motivated me,” Sahid shared in an Instagram post.

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A post shared by Sahid SK (@sahixd)

Can AI Help Find Missing Children?

AI can help find missing children by analysing age progression, showing how they might look now based on a small photo. 

Nowadays, AI tools are more advanced, allowing for enhanced imaging that reflects the current age of the child. 

Using advanced image recognition and machine learning, AI can compare the old photo with millions of images from social media, public databases, and surveillance cameras.

This technology can identify similar facial features, assisting authorities and families in locating the child as they grow up.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 2,000 girls go missing each day. The number of missing girls rose from about 66,000 in 2018 to over 85,000 in 2022.

Meanwhile, earlier people feared AI due to concerns about job disruption and warfare dominating social media headlines. 

Now, however, this same AI is seen as a source of hope for addressing these issues. With advanced tools and technologies, there is potential to improve search efforts and reunite families.