ITU More than 40 million people around the world are enslaved today. Eliminating modern slavery has been particularly challenging due to its near-invisible nature – until recently. Experts from the Code 8.7 community have turned to artificial intelligence (AI) and computational science to fight modern slavery, along with human trafficking and forced child labour. The group takes its name from Target 8.7 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, asking UN Member States to take “immediate and effective measures” to eradicate modern slavery and end child labour by 2025. Spotting anomalies and proxy data The hundreds of millions of dollars that traffickers are estimated to rake in yearly through the modern slave trade may largely be laundered through legitimate financial institutions. “These monies are moved through intricate networks, using financial systems both within and across countries,” noted Anjali Mazumder, an expert in AI, justice, and human rights at The Alan Turing Institute.