Dec. 17: AI chatbots harming teens
This is a shortened version of Get Smart About News, a free weekly newsletter that explores trends and issues in misinformation, social media, artificial intelligence and journalism. Subscribe HERE. Note: This is the last issue of Get Smart About News in 2024! The newsletter is taking a winter break and will return in the new year on Jan. 14.
Top story of the week
When algorithms and AI chatbots cause harm to teens
When Anna Mockel was 14, she aimlessly watched whatever videos YouTube recommended — until her feed was awash in ultra-skinny girls and weight-loss videos. Mockel became fixated on losing weight and was eventually hospitalized with anorexia, she told CBS News. Now 18, Anna said YouTube — the most popular platform for teens — became, for her, a “community of people who are competitive with eating disorders.” She’s far from the only one. A new Center for Countering Digital Hate report found that when YouTube users show signs of being interested in weight loss, nearly 70% of recommended videos include content that may provoke anxiety about body image.
Artificial intelligence chatbots are also resulting in harm to children and teens. A Texas mom said that an AI chatbot app, Character.ai, encouraged her 17-year-old son to cope with sadness through self-harm and suggested he kill his parents [link warning: violent references and self-harm]. The mom recently filed a lawsuit against Character.ai, and she is joined by another parent who said her 11-year-old daughter was exposed to sexual content on the app. In October, Character.ai was also sued by the mother of a teen who died by suicide after chatting with the app.
Following the lawsuits, Character.ai announced that it is adding new safety features for teens, including parent controls, prominent disclaimers that chatbot characters aren’t real people and a pop-up to a suicide prevention hotline when expressions of self-harm are detected.
Engage:
Ask the kids in your life about their interactions with AI chatbots and social media algorithms. What kind of content do they see on their social media feeds — and how often do they follow algorithmic recommendations like YouTube’s “Up Next” videos? Are AI chatbots trustworthy? Why or why not?
Parents:
How do you talk to your kids about the hazards involved in using AI chatbots? Do you have questions about generative AI technology usage with teens? Please let us know by replying directly to this email. We may share your responses or questions in a future issue.
Related:
RumorGuard post of the week
Recommended by LinkedIn
❌ NO: World leaders did not sign a World Economic Forum treaty to introduce “age of death” laws requiring people to seek government approval to live past a certain age in the Western Hemisphere.
✅ YES: This story originated with The People’s Voice, a website with a long history of publishing hoaxes.
❌ NO: The WEF website does not contain any mention of “age of death” laws.
❌ NO: The WEF, an international nonprofit that encourages cooperation among global leaders, does not make policy.
★ NewsLit takeaway
Supposed screenshots of news articles should always be viewed with skepticism as they often turn out to be impostor content or, in this case, trace back to a disreputable website. Here are some things to consider when encountering similar claims online:
Kickers of the week
➕ Need to reset your algorithm? A communications studies professor shares how to do this in this CBS News video. One tip: Mute buttons and privacy settings are helpful, depending on the platform.
➕ Imagine getting a push notification with a headline about a sensational and shocking thing that … never happened. This was a reality recently when Apple Intelligence ran a false AI-generated headline about the Luigi Mangione case and attributed it to BBC News.
➕ TikTok has until Jan. 19 to change ownership or be kicked out of the U.S. While a federal court upheld that a TikTok ban doesn’t violate the Constitution, online speech advocates say it would set a dangerous precedent.
One last thing...
This is a short version of our Get Smart About News email. To get more top stories, more RumorGuard posts and more Kickers, subscribe to our Tuesday email HERE.
Are you an educator? See how you can integrate these examples into your teaching by subscribing to The Sift® HERE.
Thanks for reading!