Ethical Considerations of AI and Algorithms in Shaping Social Media Interactions
These days, social media plays an integral part in life, influencing how we communicate, obtain information, and share information with each other. Although less than 30 years old [1], we have seen a huge evolution of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn: Facebook is now Meta and owns WhatsApp, Instagram, and Threads; Twitter is X. Both are owned by billionaires who have anticipated technological trends, capitalized on these opportunities and pioneered the way for a rapidly innovative industry.
The biggest driving success of social media, from a business point of view, is consumer data. A large majority of social media platforms are free of charge and are able to operate this way because you’re allowing them access to your data in return. With this, companies like Meta have been able to shape social media content and interactions. This is something that can be viewed as beneficial or unethical depending on the intent and use case, with issues like privacy and manipulation far from uncommon now.
In this article, we will be delving into the ethics of using AI and algorithms in social media, examining how they help personalize content, potentially leading to bias and echo chambers, and the future of AI in social media platforms.
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