Dr. Angelina Voggenreiter

Technical University of Munich

Youth Safety in an AI-Driven Online World

 

Risky challenges, hunger groups, cybergrooming – the online world harbours numerous dangers for children and young people. AI technologies, such as recommendation algorithms on social media platforms, often exacerbate these risks by, for example, playing out dangerous content to minors.

 

This makes it all the more urgent to create mechanisms and clear rules that ensure the protection of children and young people in the digital space. In this project, we are researching various online risks for minors. We are evaluating how these risks arise, are spread and can be recognised. We analyse how AI additionally facilitates these risks and how these technologies can be changed to protect young users instead.

 

Based on these findings, we formulate policy recommendations and guidelines for the responsible use of AI on platforms used by minors. In addition, we are developing a tool that enables minors to use AI-based platforms such as TikTok or Instagram safely.