Nisien.AI

Nisien.AI, a Cardiff-based artificial intelligence firm, specializes in online safeguarding and threat mitigation. The company emerged in 2023 as a spin-out from Cardiff University, founded by two of its academics, Professor Matt Williams, a criminologist, and Professor Pete Burnap, an expert in data science and cybersecurity. Their respective backgrounds in the social and computational sciences form the company's foundation, blending criminological insights with advanced AI to address online harms ethically. Professor Williams serves as the Chief Scientist and is the director of HateLab, which he founded in 2017, while Professor Burnap, the Chief of AI, holds multiple directorships including at the Wales Cyber Innovation Hub and the Cardiff Centre for Cyber Security Research. They are joined by an executive team that includes CEO Lee Gainer, formerly of Wealthify, and COO Dean Doyle, from HateLab.

The firm targets major social media platforms and global brands, offering solutions to detect, manage, and resolve online threats while protecting brand reputation and intellectual property. Its business model centers on its proprietary HERO (Harms Evaluation & Response Observatory) suite, a platform designed to provide clients with tools for intelligent online safety. Revenue is generated through this platform, with HERO Detect being its first commercial product. Nisien.AI's approach is distinguished by its focus on de-escalation and fostering healthy online communities rather than outright censorship, a response to the growing debate around freedom of expression online.

The HERO platform is a three-pronged suite. HERO Detect uses AI algorithms that analyze linguistic context and intent to identify and classify a wide range of online harms in real-time across social networks. HERO Defend is designed to protect brands and communities by hiding harmful content from view. Finally, HERO Resolve offers a generative AI-powered tool that suggests counter-speech responses for moderators, a method the company claims can reduce negative interactions by up to 65% without censoring users. A recent joint investment from the British Business Bank's Investment Fund for Wales, via Foresight Group and the Development Bank of Wales, is set to accelerate research and development, enabling Nisien.AI to scale its operations and bring new products to market.

Keywords: online threat detection, online safeguarding, AI content moderation, brand reputation management, cyber-risk detection, criminology, data science, online harm mitigation, counter-speech technology, social media safety, intellectual property protection, HERO platform, de-escalation tools, community integration, ethical AI, online conflict resolution, misinformation detection, hate speech analysis, brand safety solutions, digital wellness