The tool works by adults seeking to adopt submitting survey responses via the algorithm’s online platform, and foster parents or social workers inputting each child’s information. The algorithm then generates a score measuring the “relational fit” and displays a list of the top prospective parents for each child. Despite its limited success, Adoption-Share has generated $4.2 million in revenue since 2016. Critics argue that such tools can exacerbate racial disparities and discriminate against families based on characteristics they cannot change.
Key takeaways:
- Thea Ramirez developed an artificial intelligence-powered tool, Family-Match, intended to predict which adoptive families will stay together, aiming to improve the adoption process in the U.S.
- An Associated Press investigation found that the tool has produced limited results in the states where it has been used and has been dropped by Virginia and Georgia due to its inability to produce adoptions.
- There are concerns about the transparency of the algorithm and the ownership of the sensitive data it collects, with some social workers reporting that the tool often led them to unwilling families.
- Despite these issues, Adoption-Share, the organization run by Ramirez, continues to seek to expand its reach and has recently landed a deal with the Florida Department of Health.