The security team of Alibaba, China's leading e-commerce company, has helped dissuade more than 1,000 potential buyers from committing suicide since July 2019, and has worked together with local police to resolve more than 200 suicide incidents.

Alibaba Security is responsible for reducing risk at various levels. In addition to cracking down on fake goods for consumers, creating a better business environment for merchants, and helping buyers and sellers carry out smooth transactions, the department has been trying to solve social problems through the technology + co-governance model for many years.

The “suicide interrupters” from the project team are responsible for comforting those found to be suicidal and dissuade them from attempting to take their own lives.

"Many young people are not determined to commit suicide at first, however, they are struggling to choose between survival and death, which they are reluctant to tell to their family, friends and other close people about," said Wu Gang, one of the suicide interrupters, adding that "on the Internet, it may be easier to open up to complete strangers."

According to statistics, after Alibaba Security's suicide interrupter project officially went into operation, multiple suicidal incidents were discovered every day through its early warning and business feedback algorithmic model.

In Wu Gang's view, what suicide interrupters can do is identify the distress signals initially shown by potential buyers, intercept their orders that may have been placed, and help them get through the most dangerous time.

"There are some obvious characteristics of people at high risk," Wu pointed out, adding that these characteristics can be predicted not only by the algorithm warning model, but can also be detected through communication during the process of providing services.

More than 800,000 people commit suicide each year, according to the World Health Organization's first suicide prevention report, published in September 2014.

More than five years later, there has been no official update on the figure. But there is no denying that in recent years, suicide has repeatedly become the focus of social attention.