PROJECT YANI: Development of the AI Chatbot, “Yani, the Endcovbot”

PROJECT YANI: Development of the AI Chatbot, “Yani, the Endcovbot”

Introduction

Having access to Information and knowledge on COVID-19 is of primary importance in surviving and living through the pandemic. Filipinos demand for information relevant to their health and safety, and their day-to-day actions and decisions.

In keeping with its mandate to disseminate research findings, creative works and innovations to the general public, the UP Resilience Institute (UPRI), a key member of the UP COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team (UP PRT), has developed “Yani, the Endcovbot”, a Facebook messenger AI chatbot.

Project Description

The UP PRT and the UPRI, together with a group of volunteers, is developing “Yani”, a chatbot designed to simulate human conversations to provide information on frequently asked questions (FAQs) on COVID-19. Anyone with a Facebook messenger account can talk to Yani for free.

Yani, short for “Bayanihan” and named in honor of heroes in the fight against COVID-19, is also dubbed as the “AI” member of the UP COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team. Currently, Yani can generate COVID-19 statistics (from city/municipality level up to the national level), link users to therapy/counselling, search for the nearest hospitals, and provide information on COVID-19-related policies on health, education, economic support, and transport/mobility. Yani is linked to and sources information from the endcov.ph dashboard, the flagship website and data and information resource developed by the UP team.

Project Yani Objectives

Project Yani aims to provide relevant COVID-19 information to the general public through the development of an AI Chatbot that is free and accessible. This project supports and complements existing and growing programs of the UP PRT primarily the endcov.ph dashboard. As the country continues to face and manage the pandemic, Project Yani aims to continuously meet growing and changing information demands through web development, script research, and translation work on “Yani, the Endcovbot”.

Components

Developing “Yani, the Endcovbot” is the result of the collaboration of three components namely, research and script-writing, web development, and translation work. The UPRI Research and Creative Work Unit (UPRI-RCW) is leading the research and script-writing component in collaboration with a group of web developers and translators.

Media Coverage and Important Links