When no one picks up
For many people in Switzerland, Die Dargebotene Hand (the Swiss support helpline) has been a voice in the night for decades. On the phone, at number 143, almost every call is answered by a person. In the chat, things look different. According to a report by SRF, only one in three or four requests can be answered there. There are simply not enough volunteers.
That is why Die Dargebotene Hand is now introducing a chatbot. Anyone who cannot reach a person in the chat is no longer put off until later, but can chat with the bot. In acute crises, the bot stops and refers people to humans and phone numbers. In Finland, where the model was first used, many people used the bot to find out whether they needed personal counselling at all. Waiting times became noticeably shorter as a result.
One figure in this report stayed with me most: two out of three people who write find no one on the other end. That shows how great the need is to talk to someone. And how few people are there to listen.
I think the path taken by Die Dargebotene Hand is an honest one. The bot does not pretend to be a person. It is a bridge, not a replacement. And those in charge say themselves that what is still needed above all is more people who take the time.
That is exactly what Romera is about, too. An AI can help you take the first step. But it cannot replace the real conversation, the one between two people.
One clear boundary matters to me here: Romera is a place for encounters, not counselling and not crisis help. If you are feeling very bad, call Die Dargebotene Hand, phone 143, around the clock. Young people can reach counselling and help on 147.
And you? Would you rather write to a chatbot first before confiding in a person? Or is a human counterpart important to you from the start?