How ChatGPT helped trace Maharashtra woman missing for 2.5 years, reunite her with family

A 45-year-old woman who went missing from her home in a mentally distressed condition was reunited with her family in Maharashtra's Parbhani district after two-and-a-half years, following efforts by a social organisation that used artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including ChatGPT, to trace her hometown.

Julekha Mukheed Shaikh, who had been living at Sanvita Ashram in Pandur, Sindhudurg district, since April 3, 2024, returned home on November 9 after social workers managed to locate her family using Google Search and ChatGPT, PTI reported on Saturday, citing officials.

How social workers traced her family

Shaikh was admitted to the ashram following an order issued by a Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Mumbai's Kurla on April 3, 2024.

The order was passed at the request of the Colaba police and a probation officer at the Government Women's Beggars' Home in Chembur, according to an official release.

During her stay, social workers made repeated attempts to establish her identity and trace her family. Kisan Choure, trustee of Jeevan Aanand Sanstha, and his team regularly interacted with Shaikh, seeking clues about her background and hometown.

The team eventually used digital tools, including Google Search and ChatGPT, to identify her native place in Parbhani district. With the assistance of the Nirbhaya police squad in Parbhani, they managed to contact her relatives, the release said.

Woman reunites with husband after two-and-a-half years

After establishing contact, Shaikh spoke to her family over the phone, ending nearly two-and-a-half years of separation.

Her husband, Mukheed Shaikh, subsequently travelled to Sanvita Ashram on November 9 and took her back home to Parbhani.

Choure said the reunion was made possible through a combination of sustained interaction with Shaikh and the use of digital technology.

Other instances where ChatGPT helped reunite families

70-year-old Karnataka woman reunited with family after 16 days

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Bhanu Pratap