Inspired by online dating, AI tool for adoption matchmaking falls short for vulnerable foster kids

Former social worker Thea Ramirez has developed an artificial intelligence-powered tool that she says helps social service agencies find the best adoptive parents for some of the nation’s most vulnerable kids. But an Associated Press investigation has found that the Family-Match algorithm has produced limited results in the states where it has been used, raising questions about the ability of artificial intelligence to solve such enduring human problems. Virginia and Georgia dropped the algorithm after trial runs, noting its inability to produce adoptions. Tennessee scrapped the program before rolling it out, saying it didn’t work with their system, and social workers reported mixed experiences in Florida. Ramirez said in an email that "Family-Match is a valuable tool.”