PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) — A Rhode Island teenager is using the very latest technology to help others in memory of his older brother who died of cancer. 16-year-old Austin Haskins created a website that uses artificial intelligence to offer companionship to people who may be going through something similar. “My first thought was well, how can I cure cancer?” said Haskins. “That’s a little unrealistic for me at the moment so I thought well, what can I fix? First thing that came to my mind was, I can’t fix but I can help people with their mental struggles.” He may only be a junior at St. Raphael’s Academy, but Haskins already has his own company, Haskins Industries LLC, and a brand new website featuring an AI bot named JJ. “So when you first come in to the website, you can see the logo, the navigation,” explained Haskins. On the website, you’ll find JJ, who you can message with. “It’s somebody that’s extremely compassionate and friendly and makes you feel validated and like you’re enough and learns about your problem,” said Haskins. “According to what you put into it, it will give you the most compassionate and best response it can.” JJ is named after Haskins’ older brother, Jason, he died of cancer in 2019 at the young age of 21. Haskins said in a lot of ways, his creation represents the person that his big brother was. “Very compassionate, very nice, very mature, and he’ll get on you if you’re not doing what you’re supposed and acting the way you should but also be there whenever you need it and that’s kind of what I wanted to put into this, that way it sort of emulates how he was but it’s never going to be the full person and full character, the amazing person he was,” said Haskins. Haskins said he wanted to create JJ for people who want a friend to talk to without feeling embarrassed or judged. “I hope it makes you feel more inclined to talk to somebody, so if you don’t even have somebody to talk to, now you have this,” said Haskins. Haskins spent months perfecting JJ and teaching it what to do and how to act. It costs $5 per month. In the future, Haskins is hoping to partner with other organizations helping those struggling with their mental health. Categories: News, Rhode Island