Updates
- Sora 2 – persuasive design – algorithms.
- TikTok – recommending adult content to children.
- For parents – app safety settings.
Sora 2 – Persuasive Design – Algorithms
Late last week the long-awaited new version of Sora was released, Sora 2. If you’re not aware, Sora is a Generative AI video platform developed by OpenAI (ChatGPT).
Currently access to the new Sora app is by invite only so I haven’t been able to get hands-on yet, but from what i’ve seen on YouTube it’s extraordinary, I can see why OpenAI has taken so long (in AI tech terms) to release the new version, the video accuracy is on another level – upload an image of yourself, put in a text prompt, create a realistic video with sound, including voice. Take a look at the video at the top of THIS page to see for yourself.
I can see enormous, positive creative uses for this, but on the flip side I have huge concerns. The first thought that came to mind was probably the obvious one – deepfakes. This is, quite simply, a deepfake generator. Most people are going to use this app for a bit of fun, some won’t!
The second took me a bit by surprise, an algorithmic feed.
I’m spending a lot of time this year talking to students and staff about behaviour influence, how persuasive design techniques and algorithmic recommender systems can ‘recommend’ wholly inappropriate content (see the next update below), influence or skew people’s beliefs, thoughts, ideas – creating filter bubbles which then further polarise those beliefs. To see that the new Sora app is fed by an algorithmic recommender system shouldn’t have surprised me, it’s classic persuasive design: get more people in here, keep them in here for longer, keep them coming back for more.
My thoughts around this may change once I get access and can have a play, but all I”m seeing at the moment is that Sora is a direct competitor to TikTok which is already full of AI slop.
TikTok – Recommending Adult Content to Children
In the update last week I shared that Instagram was being held to account for the failure of many of its so-called safety features. With the Online Safety Act now in force it should be no surprise that these companies are under a lot of scrutiny right now, and their failings are being highlighted.
This week saw the outcomes of some new research by a campaign group called Global Witness. As part of their research they set up a number of fake accounts as a 13 year old and, importantly, they turned on the ‘restricted mode’ feature which is supposed to restrict certain content, but it didn’t. Not only was there suspected CSAM content, the recommender system was actively showing inappropriate content where users (the individuals who created the videos) were trying to circumvent the safety features, seemingly with apparent ease. Not only that, search recommendations were highly inappropriate (and a breach of the Online Safety Act).
You clan see an article about the research on the Global Witness website HERE. In particular, take a look at image 4 to see what TikTok search was recommending to these 13 year old users.
For Parents – App Safety Settings
With the Online Safety Act now in force it’s no surprise to see a lot of focus and scrutiny on tech companies, their features and safety settings being so prominent in the media, particularly safety settings failures. However, that shouldn’t detract from the fact that safety settings are important; they’re not perfect and never will be, but they are there for a reason. So this feels like a good time to either send a reminder out to parents or to take a look at the links on your school website to some of the more popular social apps which I’ve shared below, all from the Internet Matters website:
Weekly Update to your Inbox
Online Safety Pro
Staff, parent and governor online safety training.
- Annual staff, parent and governor training (pre-recorded videos).
- Half-termly staff and parents updates (video for staff, PDF newsletter for parents.
- 12 month subscription – 1 single low cost per school (not per person).
- All written and produced by Alan Mackenzie, an online safety specialist for over 17 years.
- Discounts for multi-school or MAT purchases.