NEWS
Ample Labs, Ada Officially Launch AI Chatbot For Toronto's Homeless Community
Ample Labs, a Toronto-based non-profit that builds technology solutions for the homeless community has officially launched Chalmers, its AI-powered chatbot, in partnership with AI and chatbot technology company Ada (co-founded by Next 36 alumnus Mike Murchison).
Chalmers was created to instantly connect Toronto’s homeless community with local resources. Offering 24/7 support accessible across desktop and mobile devices, the tool provides instant information about free meals, clothing banks, overnight shelters, and drop-in facilities. After six months of beta testing, Chalmers now supports 700 users each month, providing a total of 6,500 recommendations, including 4,000 meals, and 800 overnight shelter opportunities. “Nothing has been more meaningful than seeing the connections, potential, and even excitement our Chalmers chatbot is bringing to its users,” said CG Chen, founder of Ample Labs. “We’ve spent a lot of time in shelters working with both front-line staff and clients to ensure Chalmers addressed their needs, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
According to Ample Labs, the majority of people facing homelessness are in an “invisible” or “transitional” state, meaning they are either couch-surfing, staying with family or friends, or sleeping in their cars. The organization stated as many as 50,000 people could be experiencing this kind of hidden homelessness on any given night in Canada.