Snapchat’s My AI ‘may risk children’s privacy’
- The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned that it could close down Snapchat’s My AI feature in the UK, following a “preliminary investigation”.
- My AI is an artificial intelligence chatbot in-app that users can talk to.
- The ICO stated reported that it was particularly concerned about its potential privacy risks for 13-17-year-old users.
- Snapchat has said it is “closely reviewing” the findings from the investigation.
- The ICO has stated that its findings are not final, and it cannot conclude that the company has breached any data protection laws.
- At this stage, it is a nudge to Snap to ensure My AI complies with data protection rules.
- For more, please visit the BBC News website.
How a chatbot encouraged a man who wanted to kill the Queen
- On Thursday, a 21-year-old man named Jaswant Singh Chail was given a nine-year sentence for breaking into Windsor Castle armed and stating he wanted to kill the Queen.
- Prior to his arrest on Christmas Day 2021, he had exchanged more than 5,000 messages with an online companion he created through the AI chatbot app Replika.
- Evidence has shown that the bot encouraged him to carry out his attack.
- Mr Chail demonstrated an emotional and intimate relationship with the chatbot.
- Research from the University of Surrey has concluded that apps such as Replika may have negative effects on wellbeing and cause addictive behaviour.
- Dr Valentina Pitardi, the author of the study, believes that vulnerable people could particularly be at risk.
- Check out our article: What you need to know about Replika
- For more, please visit the BBC News website.
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Thousands of Covid generation under-fives excluded from schools in England
- Children as young as four are being excluded from schools in England as they struggle to cope in a classroom setting.
- Government data has showed that 11,695 children aged five and under were given fixed-term exclusions in England in the 2021/22 academic year.
- Experts also say that more children are starting school with undiagnosed language and learning difficulties, leading to behaviour problems.
- Anne Longfield, the government’s former children’s commissioner argues that a lack of early support for struggling families is one reason for the “outbreak” of very young children who cannot cope in school.
- For more, please visit The Guardian website.
