New Harm Reduction Chatbot Uses AI to Identify Ecstasy Pills on WhatsApp

ToxiBot Inspector launches as the world’s first WhatsApp-based harm reduction AI, enabling users to identify pills through photos and access test-backed safety data.

A new AI-powered tool is offering ravers a safer way to identify ecstasy pills anonymously through WhatsApp.

ToxiBot Inspector is the first WhatsApp-integrated tool that uses AI to help identify pills based on appearance, according to its creators, Pablo Ferreyra and Aníbal Sacco.

The ToxiBot organization was first founded in 2022 with the intent of making accurate substance information more accessible to the public and to aid harm reduction efforts in nightlife, Ferreyra and Sacco said. Now with Inspector, the platform is extending its growing capabilities into real-time identification.

“Our mission is to merge cutting-edge technology with grassroots harm reduction,” Sacco says. “As the first WhatsApp harm reduction bot, ToxiBot was born to bring scientific and confidential information closer to users. With Inspector we take one step further to strengthen autonomy and safety in nightlife spaces.”

By submitting a photo, users receive the substance’s suggested street name match based on its features such as color, embossing or de-bossing. That name can then be searched in ToxiBot’s database, which includes helpful resources such as test-backed data and known variations, all aimed at supporting safer decision-making in nightlife settings. The searchable database currently contains over 3,500 test results published by the Argentine Harm Reduction Association (ARDA).

All communications with Inspector are said to be protected through secure cryptographic algorithms in transit, and personally identifying information is encrypted to maintain privacy.

To learn more about Inspector and how to access the tool via WhatAapp, visit Toxibot’s official website.