AI and Online Safety: Emerging Risks and Opportunities
The AI Asia Pacific Institute (AIAPI), in collaboration with Netsafe, is proud to announce the release of the pathbreaking discussion paper AI and Online Safety: Emerging Risks and Opportunities. This comprehensive report addresses the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and online safety, offering actionable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, educators, and communities in New Zealand and beyond.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has revolutionized the digital landscape, providing unprecedented capabilities for content creation, but also amplifying the scope and scale of online harms. From misinformation to deepfakes and AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM), the discussion paper delves into critical issues posed by these rapidly evolving technologies.
The advent of AI brings both extraordinary opportunities and complex challenges. This paper not only explores the risks but also offers a framework to prepare, curb, and respond to AI-facilitated online harms. By collaborating with communities, policymakers, and international partners and AI Safety Institutes, we can create a safer digital environment for everyone.
Key findings from the paper include:
- AI’s role in exacerbating online harms, such as hate speech, cyberbullying, and scams, through the creation of realistic, personalized, and scalable harmful content.
- The disproportionate impact of AI-enabled harms on women, children, and minority communities.
- Recommendations for a multi-layered approach, encompassing technological safeguards, public education, and international collaboration.
Online harms caused by AI are complex, evolving, and multi-faceted, and we believe that only through collective effort can we develop effective solutions. We welcome feedback, particularly on any gaps that may exist or other areas requiring deeper investigation. The initial findings in this discussion paper may also spur further projects in the research, science, innovation and technology sectors.
Your input in this consultation will help shape future projects.
The discussion paper is a call to action for governments, industry leaders, development partners, and civil society to engage in meaningful dialogue and collaborative solutions.
