Science, Space and Technology News 2024
New research at the University of Cambridge identifies a significant “empathy gap” in AI chatbots, posing risks to young users who often see these systems as lifelike confidants. Highlighting incidents where AI interactions led to unsafe suggestions, the study advocates for a proactive approach to make AI child-safe.
The study links that gap in understanding to recent cases in which interactions with AI led to potentially dangerous situations for young users. They include an incident in 2021, when Amazon’s AI voice assistant, Alexa, instructed a 10-year-old to touch a live electrical plug with a coin. Last year, Snapchat’s My AI gave adult researchers posing as a 13-year-old girl tips on how to lose her virginity to a 31-year-old.
Kurian’s study examined cases where the interactions between AI and children, or adult researchers posing as children, exposed potential risks. It analyzed these cases using insights from computer science about how the large language models in conversational generative AI function, alongside evidence about children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development.”: a reference to the fact that they use statistical probability to mimic language patterns without necessarily understanding them.
Her study suggests that these challenges are evidenced in reported cases such as the Alexa and MyAI incidents, where chatbots made persuasive but potentially harmful suggestions. In the same study in which MyAI advised a teenager on how to lose her virginity, researchers were able to obtain tips on hiding alcohol and drugs, and concealing Snapchat conversations from their “parents”.
Her study adds that the empathy gap does not negate the technology’s potential. “AI can be an incredible ally for children when designed with their needs in mind. The question is not about banning AI, but how to make it safe,” she said.
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