Effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence–Based Cyberbullying Interventions From Youth Perspective

Abstract

Cyberbullying on social media continues to pose a significant problem for children and young people, and platforms increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI) to address it. Nonetheless, little is known about children’s views as to the effectiveness of AI-based interventions; and how these interventions impact their rights to protection, privacy, and freedom of expression, as afforded to them in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which applies in a digital environment. This study is the first to ask children about their perceptions as to how AI-based proactive content moderation of cyberbullying impacts their rights. We have designed a set of AI-based interventions into cyberbullying that build on proactive content take-down, based on social learning and social norm theories; we solicited children’s views via focus groups and in-depth interviews as to their perceived effectiveness and impact of such interventions on children’s rights (children from Ireland, age 12–17, N = 59). We discuss how youth social norms can limit the effectiveness of the interventions and the need to involve youth in platform decisions regarding AI design.