Instagram is using artificial intelligence to guilt users into writing nicer captions.
A new feature will notify folks of potentially offensive photo or video descriptions, giving them a chance to “pause and reconsider their words” before posting.
“As part of our long-term commitment to lead the fight against online bullying, we’ve developed and tested AI that can recognize different forms of bullying on Instagram,” a company blog post said.
Earlier this year, Instagram introduced an identical warning for comments.
“Results have been promising,” according to the social network. “And we’ve found that these types of nudges can encourage people to reconsider their words when given a chance.”
The inner workings of Instagram’s AI were not revealed.
However, the system likely relies on an algorithm trained to spot select words or phrases—”stupid,” “ugly,” “fat,” “dead,” “hate”—related to online harassment.
A flagged caption will prompt an alert that your text is similar to others reported for bullying. You may choose to edit the caption or “share anyway.”
To be fair, not everyone using seemingly oppressive language is as fault: Someone may be referencing a title (The Ugly Duckling and Crazy, Stupid, Love come to mind) or a recipe that requires full- or low-fat ingredients.
Instagram isn’t taking any chances, though.
“In addition to limiting the reach of bullying, this warning helps educate people on what we don’t allow … and when an account may be at risk of breaking our rules,” the blog said.
The feature is rolling out first in select countries, with a global expansion expected “in the coming months.”
In July, the photo-sharing platform announced an arsenal of weapons in the fight against cyberbullying, starting with the AI-powered warning against offensive comments.
It is also testing a “Restrict” option, which helps users protect themselves from unwanted interactions: Hecklers’ comments on your posts are visible only to that person; they’ll never know that no one else can see their backtalk.
More on Geek.com:
- Instagram Introduces Age Verification Tool
- Instagram Tests Hiding Likes Across the Globe
- Instagram Gives Users More Control Over Third-Party Apps
from Geek.com https://ift.tt/36GaxqX
via IFTTT
0 comments:
Post a Comment