Shelby County · Tennessee
The MOPbot Project
Stand With Memphis
A conversational AI built as a digital bridge — connecting individuals struggling with opioid addiction to immediate resources, support, and hope.
24/7 availability
Always-on support when crisis lines are full or after hours.
Stigma-free
An anonymous, judgment-free first step toward help.
Community-aligned
Built to augment, not replace, local health professionals.
Our story
A response to a public health crisis.
MOPbot, the Memphis Overdose Prevention Chatbot, was developed in response to a critical public health crisis in Shelby County, Tennessee, a region severely impacted by the opioid epidemic. The county faced staggeringly high numbers of opioid-related overdoses and fatalities, with a significant increase in heroin-related deaths since 2011. MOPbot was conceived as a digital bridge to connect individuals with immediate resources and support, providing a stigma-free, accessible platform for those struggling with addiction.
Raymond Cui and Ashish Kalaga, the creators of MOPbot, saw firsthand the gap between the need for help and available resources. By leveraging advanced conversational AI, MOPbot offers scalable, 24/7 support designed to augment the efforts of local health professionals and community services.