Social AI, Youth and Digital Vulnerability: A call for multi-stakeholder action in the APAC

Date: Sunday, Oct 12

Time: 13:45 - 14:00 (15 mins)

Session Types: Lightning Talk

The APAC region has the largest percentage of internet users aged 15-24, and makes up a significant percentage of the global youth internet user base. There is a sharp rise in the deployment and usage of interactive, or human-mimicking AI systems (‘Social AI’). This session will present research evidence outlining the challenges and harms arising from the usage of Social AI among young people aged around 15-25 years (and more generally) and make a case for urgent multi-stakeholder action to protect the digital wellbeing of young users in the APAC region.

The evidence of harms (both individual and societal) which arise from Social AI is rising and is being documented globally and in the APAC region. These range from adverse mental health consequences, users developing addiction to and emotional dependency on these systems, and harmful outputs which are aggressive or perpetuate stigmas. Social AI systems are also designed to be addictive, deceptively anthropomorphic, and sycophantic, raising concerns about manipulation and interference with user rights. Young users, forming 40% of APAC’s internet users, are having their online experience increasingly mediated and shaped by Social AI. Therefore, they are especially vulnerable to the harms mentioned, further impacted by their level of education, digital literacy and mental development.

This talk will present evidence from my ongoing research at The Pranava Institute, which looks into policy pathways for the ethical design, development of social AI, and how regulation can be shaped to prevent harms from these systems and protect users from manipulative practices. Finally, the talk will spotlight open questions and suggest key action pathways for multi-stakeholder coordination and participation between regulators, designers, mental health professionals, educators and others, to ensure that such systems are deployed with considerations of ethical design and development, transparency, and harm prevention/mitigation.

Moderators/Speakers: Sriya Sridhar