NOVA, Bucks County’s comprehensive crime victim services agency, is pleased to announce that it has recently received a $10,000 Bucks Innovation and Improvement Grant (BIIG) from Foundations Community Partnership (FCP). The BIIG grant will be used by NOVA to support the development of specific artificial intelligence awareness, risk reduction, and abuse prevention content through a series of age-appropriate digital safety programs.
“NOVA is seeing first-hand how AI technology is amplifying the threat of sexual abuse and exploitation in new and disturbing ways,” said Alyssa Davis, Primary Prevention Coordinator, NOVA. “We are grateful to Foundations Community Partnership for allowing us the opportunity to develop programming to educate the community about these threats.”
Artificial intelligence (AI) has many benefits, but it can be used for criminal means, particularly to create:
- Realistic yet fabricated Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
- Explicit deepfakes from non-explicit online photos
- Extort children and youth for money and more explicit content
NOVA plans to use the $10,000 grant to enhance its existing digital wellness program to include AI awareness content and to develop a new series of digital safety programs for middle and high school students, parents and the community at large.
“We appreciate NOVA’s continued leadership in developing this innovative program that will increase artificial intelligence literacy and keep our communities safe,” said Falesha Grasty, Chair, FCP Board of Directors.
To learn more about NOVA’s prevention education programs, visit https://novabucks.org/prevention/
About NOVA
NOVA supports, counsels and empowers victims of sexual assault and other serious crimes in Bucks County and works to prevent and eliminate violence in society through advocacy, training, community education and prevention programs. Founded in 1974,NOVA is a non-profit 501(c)(3), community-based organization operating out of three offices in Fairless Hills, Jamison and Perkasie. Services are made possible through the financial support of federal, state and local government grants and contracts, corporations, foundations and private donations. All contributions are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. For more information, visit www.NOVABucks.org.
About Foundations Community Partnership
Established in 1964, as the Delaware Valley Mental Health Foundation, Foundations Community Partnership supports the behavioral health and human service needs of children, young adults, and families in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The foundation does this through grants to non-profit organizations, awarding scholarships to high school seniors, subsidizing service-learning internships for college students, and underwriting professional development programs. To learn more, go to http://fcpartnership.org/