Words by Cheyanne Bryan
Women-owned tech company, Areto Labs uses AI-powered tools to enable positive curation of social media feeds. The Canada-based company started with a mission to protect social media users and businesses from hate speech and harassment on their social media platforms and their software allows organisations to save time and resources while increasing engagement.
The impact of their services has built and improved digital communities resulting in safer and more inclusive online environments and flourishing digital spaces.
Smiley News caught up with Kacey Machin, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Areto Labs. Kasey has a background in advocating for accessible services within local government. When asked how her previous experience has lent itself to her current position in owning a technology company, she said, “I've always been a service-based type of person and I value that being able to use tech or AI to do that is just more of a vehicle. I think you still need all those inspiring things that are really critical to starting a company and starting a business that is very impact-driven.”
Kasey notes that the software that Areto Labs supplies reduces the emotional burden that moderating feeds can have on a human being, especially if they are subjected to vile torment.
Areto Labs has worked with many notable clients such as The Female Drive, and by engaging in innovative research they have been able to show how beneficial AI can be when used to reduce the risk of poor mental health.
Their work with The Female Drive called attention to the abuse and harassment that is prevalent within the F1 online space, especially highlighting issues through an intersectional lens.
Kasey explains: “Women of colour, in particular, experience online abuse at a far greater rate, and differently than, another type of user.”
Social media platforms have evolved from being a virtual space simply used to connect friends and family, to a place where brands’ identities can be enhanced through their social media presence.
“A lesson we learned with one of our very first sports teams, the New Jersey Devils, was the amount you can increase your authentic engagement on social media by just cleaning up your feeds,” says Kasey.
“Our customers want new diverse fans and so they're really looking for ways to be able to engage with a younger, more socially conscious audience in a way that's impactful,” she continues, “Growing new audiences and doing things ahead of time in order to make those audiences as welcoming as possible is what drives results and people are attracted to that. So I think that would be probably the most surprising lemonade we made but I thought people would be more aware of this problem and understand its impacts from a social and economical standpoint.”
Areto Labs plans to develop and add additional features to continually perpetuate a positive online environment for all users.
To find out more about Areto Lab’s services or read up on their case studies, visit their website here: https://www.aretolabs.com/
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Global Innovation Fund. An organisation distributing grants to socially beneficial initiatives around the world. Learn more here.
Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence.This is an international non-profit organisation with the mission to contribute to humanity through high-impact AI research and engineering. Find out more here.
Glitch. This is a UK charity with the aim to end online abuse by educating users on how to engage positively and respectfully in all digital spaces. Support them here.
