The digital realm is growing increasingly risky for minors due to advancements in artificial intelligence.
Online hate, harassment, and misinformation are bombarding young individuals. As per a report, this issue is being amplified by the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It's becoming challenging to discern fact from fiction.
This is the gist of the yearly report released by jugendschutz.net, a youth protection center sponsored by both federal and state governments. The report points out that current generative AI is making it harder to differentiate truth from lies, thereby escalating risks such as sexual abuse, bullying, and extremism.
Family Minister Lisa Paus commented on jugendschutz.net's annual report, expressing concern over the rise of hate, harassment, and misinformation online. She also criticized a debate culture that frequently disregards social norms. "Young people deserve a safe and carefree digital existence. Regrettably, we're still far from achieving that," Paus stated, placing responsibility mainly on platform providers.
Last year, jugendschutz.net handled approximately 7,645 cases. Two-thirds of these incidents involved sexual violence, 12% centered around sex or pornography, and 11% addressed political extremism. Further, 5% concerned self-harm content, and 2% involved cyberbullying.
jugendschutz.net reports violations to respective platform providers or law enforcement agencies when they detect child or youth pornography, or if they detect a potential threat to life and limb. By year's end, around 90% of the reported violations were removed, equivalent to 6,902 cases.
However, Stefan Glaser, jugendschutz.net's director, expressed dissatisfaction with the online service providers. "They're not doing enough to protect children and young people", Glaser stated, adding that they typically act too slowly when violations are reported to them, and their user age verification processes could be improved.
The rise in Internet use among young individuals is contributing to the proliferation of online hate, harassment, and misinformation. As a result, it's crucial for these young users to be equipped with digital literacy skills to distinguish fact from fiction.
Given the increasing reliance on Internet use for information, young individuals are often exposed to risks like sexual abuse, bullying, and extremist content, exacerbated by the use of AI.
