What the AI in Solaces does, and what it does not
People ask me whether a robot reads their chats. Here is the plain answer.
Adrian Davies
Solaces is peer support. When you reach out, the person who answers is an everyday volunteer. Not a bot, and not a professional. So where does AI come in?
It has one job. Keeping the room safe.
Think of it like the lifeguard at a swimming pool. It is not there to swim with you. It is there in case something goes wrong.
What it does
- Checks messages before they arrive. Harmful or abusive content is caught and blocked before it reaches the other person.
- Notices when something is serious. If a conversation touches on someone being at risk, a person is quietly alerted and the listener is given gentle guidance.
- Keeps help close. Every chat has a Get help now option, with 999, Samaritans on 116 123 and NHS 111 one tap away.
What it does not do
- It does not talk to you. Every message you read was written by a person.
- It does not build a profile of you. Solaces shows no adverts and does not sell data.
- It does not put your words in notifications. Message text never appears there.
- It is not therapy, and it is not a crisis service. It is a safety net around a human conversation.
Where it falls short
Automatic checks can miss things. Language is messy, and people who are hurting do not always say it plainly. That is why the AI is one layer, not the whole plan. You can report or block anyone, and an admin can suspend someone who causes harm.
Why it is built this way
Each safety check is a handful of tokens and only runs when a message is sent, so the cost grows gently with use. I compared the options before choosing a model, and Gemini was the sensible fit for the job.
The AI keeps the room safe. The people do the listening.