Laws aimed at safeguarding children and teenagers on the internet and social media platforms are gaining traction among policymakers worldwide, including in the United States. This discourse extends to the realm of artificial intelligence (AI).
Recently, President Joe Biden unveiled a fact sheet delineating the specifics of his forthcoming executive order titled “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.” The fact sheet provides directives to various national agencies on managing the impact of AI within their respective domains as outlined in the executive order.
The President has urged Congress to enact bipartisan data protection laws to ensure the safety of all Americans, with a particular emphasis on safeguarding children, in order to bolster national security defenses against potential AI-related threats. Notably, the statement underscores the importance of ensuring the safety of adolescents in the context of AI and social media.
Biden allocates nearly $20 million towards AI tools designed to fortify our computer code.
The President’s emphasis on prioritizing online protection for children is well-founded. However, what often goes unmentioned in discussions surrounding online security for minors is the role that AI currently plays and could potentially play in enhancing computer safety for all users, especially children.
Parents may leverage artificial intelligence to enhance their children’s online safety.
The internet is a vast and dynamic space that has transformed the way humanity interacts, providing billions of individuals with access to a plethora of entertainment, economic opportunities, and educational resources.
While connecting people globally has its benefits, it also introduces risks such as cybercrime, substance abuse, and online exploitation.
Despite the prevalence of non-AI tools and resources available to vigilant parents and caregivers, younger generations frequently encounter distressing content on social media platforms.
AI systems have the potential to complement existing tools and assist in safeguarding minors online, particularly in the realm of social media, albeit not as a panacea for all online risks.
Enhancing transparency in social media operations is one way AI can contribute to online safety. Social media platforms often curate content based on users’ preferences, a process that involves complex algorithms.
A burgeoning field known as explainable AI seeks to elucidate the functioning of recommendation systems, enabling parents to better control inappropriate content on their children’s devices.
Moreover, AI can serve as a real-time educational tool for teenagers in the digital landscape.
For instance, Yubo, a social media platform catering exclusively to Generation Z users, employs AI to guide its clientele on appropriate behavior. The platform’s safety features automatically intervene when a user, especially a minor, is on the verge of disclosing sensitive information. Recent studies indicate that Generation Z is more vulnerable to online threats than older demographics.
While the most challenging content moderation issues still require human oversight, advancements in AI monitoring hold promise for bolstering online safety measures.
A case in point is the revival of the university-centric social media platform Yik Yak in 2021, which implemented new community guidelines and partnered with AI content moderation firm Spectrum Labs. These initiatives have enabled the platform to reemerge with enhanced safety measures, fostering a secure and enjoyable online environment for its young users.
Companies like Apple are leveraging AI to filter out explicit images on iPhones. When activated, this feature prompts a warning before displaying potentially disturbing content, notifying parents of any concerning messages received by their children.
These instances represent initial forays into utilizing AI for online child safety. As technology progresses, we can anticipate further advancements in these tools and the emergence of novel solutions to address evolving online risks.
As we collectively strive to safeguard this digital landscape and mitigate associated threats, AI applications, both existing and forthcoming, hold promise as valuable tools in ensuring the online safety of vulnerable populations, particularly children and teenagers.
With the support of caregivers, parents, and policymakers committed to enhancing online safety for minors, AI tools are poised to serve as invaluable allies in this endeavor.
