Elv.ai Secures €500K to Combat Misinformation and Hate Speech Online

TL;DR:

  • Elv.ai, an internet safety startup, secures a €500,000 investment.
  • The company combines AI and human moderators to create a safer online environment.
  • It protects media credibility and public institutions on social networks.
  • Originating as a non-profit project, it spun off into a separate startup in response to high demand.
  • Elv.ai has successfully hidden or deleted 2,500,000 hateful or disinformation comments.
  • It has identified over 5,000 fake profiles.
  • The investment enables Elv.ai’s expansion into the Czech Republic.
  • The startup safeguards discussions and social networks for Prima TV and the Economia publishing house.
  • In the Czech Republic, 24% of monitored comments were hateful content.
  • Elv.ai’s impact extends to roughly one-third of the media market in Slovakia.
  • The CB ESPRI Impact One investment fund supports Elv.ai’s mission to combat misinformation and hate speech.
  • The investment aligns with a focus on positive social impact and human rights protection.
  • Elv.ai’s potential extends beyond the Czech and Slovak markets into the broader European market.

Main AI News:

In a significant development, Elv.ai, the internet safety startup, has announced a substantial investment of €500,000. This Slovak startup has been making waves by harnessing the power of AI in conjunction with human moderators to create a safer online environment for meaningful debates. Moreover, it plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the credibility of media outlets and public institutions on their respective social media platforms.

Elv.ai had its humble beginnings as a non-profit initiative initiated by the Slovak communications agency, New School Communications. The catalyst for its inception was the onset of hybrid warfare and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In response to a growing demand, the agency transitioned this crucial service into a standalone startup, now known as elv.ai. Its primary mission is to shield clients’ social networks from the perils of misinformation, hoaxes, fake profiles, and scams.

What sets Elv.ai apart is its dynamic approach to language and context. By seamlessly integrating AI with human moderators, it achieves a synergy that allows it to discern subtle linguistic nuances that may elude pure technological solutions. Since its launch in March 2022, elv.ai has effectively concealed or removed more than 2,500,000 instances of hateful or disinformation-driven comments out of a staggering 16,000,000. Additionally, it has successfully identified over 5,000 fake profiles, primarily in response to the events surrounding hybrid warfare and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Thanks to the infusion of investment, Elv.ai has expanded its operations to the Czech Republic, where it now safeguards discussions and social networks for prominent entities such as Prima TV and the Economia publishing house. In its native Slovakia, elv.ai has already made a profound impact, countering over 2,500,000 hateful or disinformation-driven comments out of the aforementioned 16,000,000, along with the identification of more than 5,000 fake profiles.

The statistics from the Czech Republic are equally telling, with a staggering 24 percent of over 2 million monitored comments across 44 profiles being classified as hateful content. Jakub Šuster, co-founder and CEO of elv.ai, emphasized the growing necessity to protect online discussions and social networks from the scourge of hatred. He stated, “We perceive that the media space has changed significantly and that the need to protect online discussions and social networks from hatred is growing. In our native Slovakia, we monitor and moderate the discussions of roughly one-third of the media market and help several significant institutions that want to control the posts of their online discussions without misinformation, hoaxes, or hate speech. We are pleased that even in the Czech Republic, we have quickly found conscious media houses that consider it their duty to protect their fans and users from hateful and misinformation, both human and artificial.”

This transformative funding comes from the CB ESPRI Impact One investment fund, which has a dedicated focus on supporting companies and non-profit organizations that have a positive social impact. Their mission encompasses the protection of human rights through education, training, and research in information services. Miroslav Beblavý, CEO of the CB ESPRI Impact One Fund, expressed their rationale for investing in elv.ai, stating, “We decided to invest in elv.ai because cultivating the online space improves the social atmosphere. As an impact fund, we are interested in the financial return and the positive impact on society. We welcome efforts to use technology to mitigate misinformation content on social media, which should serve to connect people, not spread hate. We see the potential of the elv.ai tool not only in the Czech and Slovak markets but also elsewhere in the European market.”

Conclusion:

Elv.ai’s recent €500,000 investment signifies a pivotal step in the fight against online misinformation and hate speech. With its effective combination of AI and human moderation, the startup has demonstrated the capacity to safeguard online discourse and protect the credibility of media and public institutions. As it expands into the Czech Republic and gains support from impact-driven investors, Elv.ai is poised to make a significant impact not only in its current markets but also in the broader European landscape, where combating online toxicity remains a pressing concern.

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