Bringing New Tech to the World: NCITE Files Patent on Suspicious Activity Reporting Chatbot

The NCITE team discovered the program through Dana Saft, NCITE’s program manager at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of University Programs (OUP). After nominating the chatbot technology as a promising invention, the NCITE team was accepted into the Homeland Security Startup Studio by FedTech, which partners directly with the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) to bridge the gap from DHS-funded research and development of early-stage inventions to usable, real-world innovations.

“The goal now is not just to have a business plan, but to develop a sustainable business that results in the technology being used for the public good,” said Nguyen.

Eliminating Barriers to Reporting

The chatbot is the brainchild of Kearns, NCITE’s head of prevention research initiatives, and Elson, head of information science and technology research initiatives. Combining their expertise in criminology and human-to-computer trust, in 2021, the pair won a federal grant from the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) to examine barriers to threat reporting and develop technology to improve it.

People who witness suspicious activity often minimize it, Kearns said. They often think “‘it’s not a big deal, I don't want to waste law enforcement’s time … I'm going to report this thing and Officer So-and-So is going to look at me like I'm an idiot.’”

“A chatbot can help to overcome some of these barriers that can't really be overcome in other ways,” she said. “Without this technology, you can't get past the fact that some people just don't want to report to another human being.”

Elson and Kearns were drawn together by the similarity of their Ph.D. dissertations, which focused on people’s willingness to interact with technology and cooperate in counterterrorism reporting, respectively. They came up with the chatbot idea months before they officially started at NCITE in response to an inquiry from the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and Awareity, an Omaha-based company focused on threat assessment and prevention. Both organizations are now community partners on the research component of the project.

The team has also partnered with the RTI Innovation Advisors, a commercialization wing of the nonprofit Research Triangle Institute, to provide the initial market analysis of the chatbot to determine its potential for commercialization.

Working Toward a 'Moonshot' Goal

The FedTech accelerator has a two-stage process. In Phase 1, teams build an understanding of their inventions and viable markets for commercializing them. Starting in March, the NCITE team and the entrepreneurs attended weekly meetings to develop the chatbot’s selling points and practice pitching the technology.

Then, the entrepreneurs progressed to Phase 2: the business plan and pitch development process. In July, the entrepreneurs delivered their pitches in Washington, D.C., to an audience of investors and DHS and community stakeholders, gauging their interest and adapting to their feedback.

“It was a great experience there,” said Nguyen. “We learned a lot about the breadth of the technologies and inventions that DHS can pass their hands in.”

NCITE was paired with two primary entrepreneurs who worked on the chatbot through the Homeland Security Startup Studio. Lisa London and Scott Lawler both work for companies that partner with the federal government. London is the CEO of Edifice Solutions, a design-build construction firm, and Lawler is the CEO of LP3, a cybersecurity company.

"As longtime federal contractors to U.S. homeland security and other intelligence agencies, we are honored to have the opportunity to bring the AI chatbot to maturity to address terrorism ... and other threats," London said. "We believe that our technology solution will support safer communities and protect American citizens in the mission-critical security arena."

The chatbot also has the potential for application inside organizations to process workplace conduct complaints. In higher education, for example, it could be integrated into data management software to help process issues like student academic integrity violations and Title IX grievances. For now, the team intends to start with Nebraska law enforcement, schools, and universities.

The chatbot is currently in an option agreement, in which the researchers have an extendable three-month period to decide whether they want to go forward with licensure. Nguyen likens the process to partners “dating” and eventually deciding whether to get married.

“We're trying to figure out if this is going to be a harmonious and symbiotic partnership, and from there, we'll be able to know for certain whether or not we want to continue spinning this out into a business,” said Nguyen.

Between meetings, training, and lectures, the entrepreneurs have routinely worked 20 hours a week on the chatbot outside of their day jobs. Nguyen acknowledged the entrepreneurs’ dedication to the project.

“There's a lot of attrition for these entrepreneurial teams – it's a lot. People have families,” said Nguyen. “They're strapped with other commitments, and they're still working hand-in-hand with us.”

Commercialization: A Long-Term Strategy

Nguyen credits former NCITE research commercialization manager Deanna Marcelino for streamlining the process. Marcelino has worked with both the Nebraska Business Development Center and NU Connections, a University of Nebraska system organization that brings together researchers and Nebraska businesses. She has since transitioned to work at UNO’s Office of Research and Creative Activity.

“She is kind of like a focal point that connects a lot of folks within the university,” said Nguyen. “She played a huge hand in helping us get to the point where we are.”

Product innovation is part of NCITE’s long-term development plan as it works toward long-term sustainability after its initial 10-year cooperative agreement from DHS ends in 2030.

“Tech transition is important to our call to create tools that can be used to keep Americans safe,” said NCITE Director Gina Ligon, Ph.D. “The chatbot project exemplifies NCITE’s interdisciplinary approach — IT innovation, criminology, I-O psychology, and more – at work.”

For Nguyen, filing the patent is just the beginning.

“My hope is that we can keep this university-entrepreneurial partnership going for a long while. When it comes to public safety and national security, tech tools must be well-designed and well-researched before they can be deployed,” he said. “However, these tools also require revenue and funds for continued maintenance, use, and operability – that means the business side is also essential. If we work carefully, we’d like to strike a balance where revenue generated in some market segments allows us to provide low-cost reporting tools for underserved communities that have limited threat reporting options.”