The idea stemmed from one question:

In a conservative country like the Philippines, how do we actually get people to get over their fear of shame and report sexual harassment?

And then it hit us: People judge. People talk. But AI won’t.

Thus, Gabbie was born.

It works because she is housed on a platform that people already use on a daily basis (Messenger), thus making it easy for them to report wherever and whenever, and the fact that she’s an AI means that they don’t have to worry about judgment from her.

Gabbie was implemented on Facebook Messenger on November 25th, 2017, also known as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Upon launch, she was picked up by various local and global news sites, she was featured on the country’s premier news channel, she was brought to schools, and she was even invited to congress to the support and appreciation of the country’s legislators.

Upon launch, Gabbie has received:

9.5 million impressions

Almost P5 million in free media values

And a 1060% increase in reports, from 11 to 127 in the last two months of Q4, 2017.

But the biggest result is that Gabbie was able to break the silence regarding sexual harassment as well as set a new precedent when it comes to the reporting it.