Social Media and AI: Is it Safe? (2024)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way society interacts,communicates, and generates and consumes content. The technology isalready changing the digital landscape, and raising many questions aboutit* use and impact. Among these are questions about the implications ofsocial media AI.

While there is little doubt that the use of AI in social media canoffer many benefits, from enhancing the user experience to helpingbusinesses make smarter marketing decisions, it also presents somechallenges to user privacy and requires a certain amount of restraintand responsibility from those who use the technology.

What is AI in SocialMedia?

Social media platforms now incorporate AI technology in many of theirfeatures. Some users wonder if this applies to all platforms, askingquestions like “Does Instagram use AI?” The reality is that thetechnology is so powerful and offers so many benefits that all socialmedia networks incorporate it to some extent. For example, Instagram and Facebook useAI to curate users’ feeds and timelines, ensuring the prioritization ofcontent that—according to the automatically compiled and analyzeddata—most appeals to each individual user.

This is why, for example, even if two Instagramusers follow exactly the same accounts, their feeds may lookdifferent based on how and when they engage with content. As such, userswondering “Are social media algorithms AI?” are asking the rightquestions—many platforms’ algorithms do use the technology to improveand personalize the user experience.

How is AI Used inSocial Media?

So how is AI used in social media? While the technology certainly hasbenefits for the average user, it is especially useful for businessusers such as brands, companies, and content creators. Social media AIcan simplify many of the processes that businesses execute on theseplatforms, enhancing their ability to deliver personalized experiencesfor followers and increasing the efficiency of their actions. Socialmedia AI can also save companies a lot of time because these toolsautomate many of the functions that may previously have been necessaryto execute manually. Additionally, brands can use AI to track theirpublic reputation.

Here are a few ways of how businesses can enhance their use of socialmedia with AI:

Pros and Cons ofAI in Social Media

There is no doubt that the use of social media AI is alreadyextensive and will continue to grow as the technology develops andbecomes more powerful. However, like any other technology, AI use insocial media has advantages and disadvantages. These powerful tools cansignificantly enhance the social media experience, but they can alsocreate new challenges and problems for individual and organizationalusers.

Benefits of AI inSocial Media

From the discussion above, it is clear that social media AI can bevery useful. However, the benefits of this technology go beyond simplyenhancing organizational efficacy. Here are several ways AI tools areelevating the social media experience:

Creating a more inclusive online space for all users by filteringout inappropriate content and penalizing users who infringe communityguidelines.
Saving the time of content creators by automating many of themore mundane functions of managing an organizational social mediaprofile, such as scheduling and customer service.
Boosting creativity by helping to generate more ideas and createmore impactful campaigns.
Growing the reach and profile of small businesses andcreators.
Saving costs by eliminating the need for copious amounts ofmanual labor to manage social media pages and campaigns.
Enabling better business decisions by generating more precisedata sets and insights.
Accelerating revenue by highlighting the best-performing languageand visuals, suggesting new audiences, and enabling targeted advertisingto more receptive audiences.
Increasingsecurity for personal users by minimizing the opportunities for dataand identitytheft, and phishing.

Disadvantages ofAI in Social Media

Of course, as with all technologies, there are some risks to AI usein social media. Some of these relate to how users and companies chooseto deploy these powerful tools. However, some of these downsides areinherent in AI technology. These are just some of the risks of socialmedia AI:

AI bias, which is the result of prejudicial assumptions builtinto the technology through its machine-learningprocess—creates a significant lack of objectivity and quality.However, there are social media algorithms with AI that aremanmade.
The spreading of misinformation, due to AI generating content tooquickly, and using facts, statistics, or other information withoutvetting for quality and veracity. An increase in deepfakes from the useof AI in social media, which can have negative social and politicalconsequences.
A rise in plagiarism, because AI parses the internet for theinformation it requires to create content and then compiles this withoutreferences or even changing the content.
Compliance issues, because many companies have not yet developedpolicies on how to use AI in their operations—this can potentially leadto conflicts of interest or the violation of industryregulations.
Users being wrongly penalized for infringing communityguidelines, requiring a long appeals process to reinstate profiles orposts.
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How to SafelyUse AI in Social Media

To mitigate the attendant risks in the disadvantages of social media,it is essential for users—especially businesses—to learn how to safelyharness the power of AI technology for use on these sites. This willallow them to participate in the AI social media trend while alsoupholding a sense of responsibility to their customers—and to society atlarge. Although it requires a little more effort, here are some ways toresponsibly wield social media AI:

1. Verify allAI-generated content

Because of how AI is used in social media, a lot of online content isautomatically generated by this technology. However, AI is prone tobiases and does not vet the content it creates, which can lead to thepublishing of content that is rife with inaccuracies. As such,businesses should always validate and fact-check any AI content toensure that they are not spreading misinformation. It is also useful torun AI content through plagiarism tools to avoid potential copyrightviolations.

2.Explain company policy around Social Media AI

Many social media users are already—justifiably—concerned about howsocial media sites manage their data. The use of AI in social media cancompound these fears. Companies can assuage these fears by openlypublishing policies about how they use social media AI to handlecustomer data, such as the collection and storage of user informationfor targeted advertising. In addition, it can be helpful to note the useof generative AI, such as pointing out images created with thetechnology, so that users are aware that the images are not entirelyreal.

3. Be aware of usersentiment

While AI in social media can be incredibly powerful for companies, itis crucial that user sentiment toward the use of this technology ismonitored. In some cases, customers and audiences may react negativelyto content generated with AI—there may be confusion or offense, forexample. Companies need to consistently monitor feedback to ensure thatif this happens, they can correct their use of AI for social mediaposts.

In conclusion, the intersection of social media and AI presents afascinating landscape of opportunities and challenges. The widespreadintegration of AI in social media platforms has undeniably transformedthe way individuals and businesses engage with digital spaces. Frompersonalized content curation to automated advertising, the benefits areevident. However, the journey towards AI-driven social media is notwithout its concerns, notably in terms of privacy, bias, and thepotential for misinformation. As we navigate this evolving terrain, itis imperative for users and businesses alike to approach the adoption ofAI in social media with a sense of responsibility and transparency.

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