Social messaging app Snapchat recently added chatbot functionality powered by ChatGPT. Given that many of our users are children and young people, is this a good idea?
For users of the standard free version of the app, this is currently not an option. This feature will appear at the top of your friends feed whether you want it or not.
Snap, the company behind Snapchat, is clearly aware of the potential dangers. Its latest feature information page is candid about the fact that: my AI It states that “it may contain biased, inaccurate, harmful or misleading content” and users should independently review the advice before acting on it. suggests that there is (We all know kids love to read product information pages, right?)
Also let users know: my AI Know your location and the data collected through it may be used to personalize and improve the services we provide.
For me this raises a number of important questions. Like many other social apps like Facebook, users under the age of 13 can sign up without parental approval. Of course, it is well known that many younger children have successfully misrepresented their age to gain access when participating.
Of course, ChatGPT is also available on the web and can be accessed by anyone regardless of age. But making it an important feature of the app that young people use extensively every day to communicate with their friends means that the inherent safety implications of this new development cannot be overlooked.
Are AI chatbots safe for children?
First, as anyone who has followed the recent development of chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard knows well, to say they tend to spread misinformation is an understatement. As previously mentioned, Snap tries to sidestep this criticism by stating that all information must be verified. But is it really possible that the average child or teen would bother to do so? We all know that taking risks is part of growing up, but chatbots are insecure. Giving incorrect advice about possible actions and activities can put children in dangerous situations.
Another issue is privacy. My AI is open about the fact that it collects and stores information about its users, but will always do its best about what information is or isn’t safe to share if those users are children. decisions can be made.
There is also the risk of using chatbots to engage in abusive or bullying behavior. For example, creating bullying content whose creator cannot be easily traced. Chatbots may enable a form of “bullying by proxy” because bullies do not feel responsible for the bot’s output even when prompted to create the bot.
and, my AI Chatbots converse with users like friends, but we also need to consider that some children may think like friends. In fact, it’s actually a piece of enterprise software primarily designed to increase the amount of time you spend engaging with the products and services belonging to that manufacturer. It even denied being an AI and claimed to be a “normal person.” This seems somewhat hypocritical, as Snap’s own guidelines state that users should always be honest when user-generated content is created by AI.
Any parent is likely to be able to recognize that they may find some of their children talking. my AI Addictive. This can become a problem if they come to prefer it over interaction with other humans.
These are all risks that everyone, especially parents, need to be aware of when using technology. But when we’re talking about chatbot AI embedded directly into applications as popular and pervasive among young people as Snapchat, I can’t help but feel that the potential problem seems bigger. yeah.
positive impact
I hope that what I have written here will not be taken as a threat. It is important to recognize that AI can also be an engine of positive growth. By enabling young people to use and interact with AI from an early age, we can prepare them for a future in which AI plays an important role in their lives. One tech-minded friend I was talking to recently said growing up today without learning how to effectively interact with AI is like growing up in the 70s without learning to use a calculator, or growing up in the 80s or He pointed out that it was like growing up in the 90s without learning to use calculators. Basic computer functions. Or you grew up in the 2000s without learning how to find information online.
As today’s children grow into adults, the use of AI in schoolwork, hobbies, and eventually the world of work could become commonplace. In fact, using AI in ways we can’t even imagine today is probably commonplace. Learning how to interact with it now could be the same kind of transit that many of their parents’ generation (myself included) experienced when experimenting with computers and exploring the Internet. I can’t.
However, ignoring the risks is negligent. As with all new technology, I think it’s important for parents to closely monitor how their children react to this intriguing new friend and watch out for signs that it may have a negative impact. increase.
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