Online presence of artificial intelligence increases potential dangers for children and adolescents

Enhanced digital intelligence poses a potential danger to children and adolescents in cyberspace.

According to the annual report by jugendschutz.net, which is supported by both federal and state governments, the internet poses increasingly complex challenges for young people. The report highlights that advanced AI technology makes it more difficult to distinguish between truth and fiction, increasing risks such as cyberbullying, extremist ideologies and sexual exploitation.

Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) echoes these concerns, stating that the spread of hate speech, inappropriate content and misinformation online is exacerbated by a lack of consistent adherence to social norms in digital discourse. She places significant responsibility on platform providers to address these issues.

In 2020, jugendschutz.net handled a total of 7,645 cases. The majority of these, around two-thirds, involved cases of sexual violence. Twelve percent of the cases involved sexually explicit content or pornography, while another 11% involved political extremism. Five percent of the cases involved self-harm material, while two percent involved cyberbullying.

When it comes to child or youth pornography content, or situations that pose a risk to life and limb, jugendschutz.net reports the violations to the relevant authorities or platform providers. By the end of the year, around 90% of the reported violations had been successfully removed.

However, Stefan Glaser, head of jugendschutz.net, is disappointed that online service providers are not doing enough to protect young people. He criticizes their inadequate response to reported violations and their lax age verification procedures for users.

The report by jugendschutz.net underlines the increasing complexity of online safety, with advanced AI technology contributing to the amplification of risks such as cyberbullying and sexual exploitation. Furthermore, Family Minister Lisa Paus emphasises that the spread of these risks is exacerbated by the lack of consistent adherence to social norms in digital discourse, placing significant responsibility on platform providers to address these issues.