Respect (Innovate UK Project)
Building "RESPECT"
How Enlighty Uses AI to Make Online Conversations Safer for Women and Girls
What if artificial intelligence could not only detect online violence but help prevent it before it happens?
Innovate UK Programme
That question became the starting point of our journey with Innovate UK's Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) programme.
Our Story
From research labs to classrooms, from algorithms to empathy, this is the story of how Enlighty built RESPECT, an AI-based app that
Why This Matters
In Northern Ireland, the numbers speak loudly. 98% of women have experienced at least one form of violence or abuse in their lifetime.
Half say it started before the age of 11.
And as life has moved online, so has the violence.
From harassment and hate speech to subtle ridicule and demeaning jokes, these behaviors are shaping how a new generation sees respect and relationships.
"Many young women describe harassment as 'just what happens.' That normalization is what we set out to challenge."
Digital violence is not just an online problem, it's a social one.
We believed AI could be part of the solution, not by punishing, but by guiding.
By helping people pause, reflect, and choose empathy.
of women have experienced violence
Before age 11
Violence moved online
Northern Ireland Statistics
From Research to Real Change
In Phase One of the programme, Enlighty built and validated the foundation for what would become RESPECT App.
We began by research to recognize and categorize online threats, ridicule, and misogynistic language across platforms.
From this research, we built three connected tools:
AI Detection Models
Identified threats, hate speech, and demeaning content, setting a new benchmark for contextual detection.
Educational Hub
A multilingual platform, endingonlineviolence.com, featuring 140+ verified resources on digital safety, legal rights, and mental health.
Chatbot and Correction Tool
Interactive AI companions that could rephrase harmful language, offer legal and educational guidance, and foster respectful communication.
Together, they reached real people:
Our campaigns on Reddit, TikTok, and X (Twitter) reached over 185,000 users in a single month, showing that positive engagement can travel as fast as harmful content.
"Phase One proved more than our technology. It proved that people want technology to help them be better."
Educational Hub Interface
Campaign visuals with engagement stats
140+
Verified Resources
Multilingual
Global Platform
185K+
Users Reached
Turning AI Into Action
In Phase Two, Enlighty is transforming its proof-of-concept into a full-fledged product: The RESPECT App.
We think of it as "Grammarly for empathy", a real-time AI tool that helps people communicate safely and respectfully online.
The app will:
- Detect and interpret violent or harmful content in what users write or read.
- Suggest respectful rewrites and reflection prompts.
- Offer legal and educational guidance grounded in verified data.
- Support families with guardian dashboards and alerts.
- Provide institutions with privacy-preserving tools to monitor and prevent online abuse at scale.
"RESPECT helps turn moments of harm into opportunities for learning."
RESPECT App Interface
More Than a Project — A Mission
At Enlighty, we've always believed that AI should not only be powerful, it should be kind.
The Ending Violence Against Women and Girls programme gave us the chance to bring that belief to life.
It also anchored us more deeply within the UK innovation ecosystem, alongside partners like the UK Executive Office, Innovate UK, and women's organizations across Northern Ireland.
For us, RESPECT isn't just another AI product.
It's a statement that technology can and should protect.
"Artificial intelligence should not only be intelligent, but it should also be compassionate."
UK Innovation Ecosystem
Community Partners
Innovate UK EVAWG
Looking Ahead
By 2026, RESPECT will be everywhere.
iOS
iPhone & iPad App
Android
All Android Devices
Chrome
Browser Extension
Ending violence against women and girls is not just a goal.
It's a collective act of respect.
RESPECT
AI for Protection, Empowerment, and Change
Innovate UK
EVAWG Programme
Northern Ireland