Iowa 4-H Member Wins Congressional App Challenge for AI Innovation

By Andi Anderson

Winston Fan, an Iowa 4-H member and student at Iowa City West High School, won the 2024 Congressional App Challenge for his AI-based web application that helps mental health professionals detect and quantify loneliness. His innovative project was recognized by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa’s First District.

Fan created the Loneliness Identification and Quantification through AI (LONIQ-AI) system to analyze speech and text patterns to measure loneliness. Inspired by the mental health challenges in his swimming community, he sought to develop a technology-driven solution for early intervention.

Using the Reddit API, Fan collected data from the subreddit r/lonely to train his AI model. He processed and annotated posts, tested multiple machine-learning models, and selected the best-performing one to power his web application.

This system allows mental health professionals to upload voice recordings or text files, which the AI then analyzes to provide insights into a patient’s level of loneliness.

Fan’s work has gained national recognition. He was named the 2024 State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa Grand Champion and earned a trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair. His app will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol and on the House.gov website.

The Congressional App Challenge is a prestigious coding competition for middle and high school students across the U.S., encouraging them to develop technology-driven solutions.

Winners receive an invitation to the House of Code Capitol Hill Reception and recognition for their contributions to STEM and computer science.

Fan’s innovation highlights the growing role of AI in addressing social challenges. His AI tool could revolutionize how loneliness is identified, offering valuable support to mental health professionals in early detection and intervention.

Photo Credit: student-gettyimages-poike