The advent of chatbots!
Technology has improved greatly, and now there are artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots everywhere, from websites to various apps on our phones.
These chatbots can answer many questions really well! However, research conducted by the University of Cambridge has shown that they might be harmful to kids like you.
What does research say?
AI chatbots like Snapchat's My AI and Amazon's Alexa voice assistant have sometimes shown signs of empathy gaps or trouble understanding how people feel.
They can answer questions but find it hard to tell if someone is sad, happy, or upset. This means they might not be as kind as a human.
Many kids talk to these chatbots and share their problems. If the chatbots cannot appropriately respond to their feelings and needs, this can affect the kids.
For example, if a child feels sad and asks a chatbot for help, it might not understand and give bad advice, which can make things worse. This lack of understanding can hurt kids.
Also, chatbots might not realise they are talking to kids and may not respond in a way that's right for their age.
A few instances!
Two years ago, Amazon's Alexa told a 10-year-old to touch a live electrical plug with a coin when the kid asked for a fun challenge. This could have given the kid an electrical shock. Luckily, the kid's mom stepped in and saved the child.
In another case, the Bing chatbot, meant to be friendly to kids, started being mean to a user.
The companies said sorry and made safety features, but these incidents show that AI chatbots can have shortcomings.
More needs to be done.
Experts say companies should make AI chatbots that understand kids better without causing problems.
You should also be careful when using these technologies. It's fine to ask them questions, but don't discuss personal problems or feelings. Instead, talk to friends, parents, or teachers about your feelings.
Also, don't always believe everything AI chatbots say, as they might not always be right. You must always ask your parents before using these technologies.
