Relationship support charity Relate has unveiled a suite of AI tools aimed at supporting separated co-parents, couples, and carers to communicate more effectively, see things from the child’s perspective, and stop unnecessary arguments before they happen.
Media release
Tuesday 23 July 2023
For immediate release
New AI tools facilitate clearer communication for couples and co-parents
Relationship support charity Relate has unveiled a suite of AI tools aimed at supporting separated co-parents, couples, and carers to communicate more effectively, see things from the child’s perspective, and stop unnecessary arguments before they happen. The tools are designed to empower families to make informed decisions and maintain positive relationships for the wellbeing of their children.
One tool – the Sounding-board bot - acts as a supportive sounding board for messages exchanged with an ex or current partner. It analyses language to suggest clearer, more empathetic wording, reducing the risk of miscommunication and conflict.
Jude Gordon, Supporting Families Programme Manager at Relate worked on developing and training the tools. Training material was gathered from various sources and collated into training documents for the AI model, before being checked for clinical accuracy and tweaked over several months to improve effectiveness.
Jude said: “This tool is brilliant because it can stop arguments between co-parents before they even happen. If you’ve drafted a WhatsApp to your ex about childcare arrangements and are worried the wording could be taken the wrong way, run it through the tool and it will come back with suggestions for how it can be tweaked for clarity and to remove any aggression or risk of misunderstandings.”
Another tool called ‘In-the-middle-bot’, offers valuable insights into a child's perspective across various co-parenting scenarios, helping caregivers understand and respond to their needs more effectively.
Gordon said:
“Often parents are thinking about things from their own perspective. Our ‘in-the-middle bot’ can help them to see things through the child’s eyes, leading to informed decisions which put their child’s needs first. We believe that by leveraging advanced technology, we can provide co-parents with the resources they need to navigate their journeys with greater ease and confidence.”
Staff working with families can also use the ‘Find your Local’ tool to see what support is available in their local area for parents experiencing relationship distress. This includes services from a number of Local Authorities that are funded for parents to access.
The final tool, RelateBot, provides expert co-parenting advice and practical support, along with recommendations of relevant articles, books, and online resources.
Gordon concluded:
"We are really proud to be able to offer these tools for parents, carers and practitioners. We hope that we can develop them and that people will access them before seeking legal advice, as we strongly believe that where possible it is beneficial for families to resolve separation and conflict without involving the family court system."
The project was funded by the Department for Work and Pensions as part of their Reducing Parental Conflict programme.
For more information on how these AI tools can benefit your co-parenting journey, visit relate.org.uk/reducing-parental-conflict.
-ENDS-
For media enquiries including interviews with Jude Gordon please contact sarah.osmik@relate.org.uk / 0207 554 2895.
About the project
This project was funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as part of their Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) Challenge fund 2.
About Relate
We’re the leading charity providing relationship support for people from every culture, community, and corner of England and Wales. Our vision is thriving relationships in every part of life and our mission is to provide accessible support in the ways people need it so everyone can enjoy thriving relationships. Find out more at relate.org.uk.