Meta has rolled out a new AI topic-monitoring feature for parents who use Supervision for Teen Accounts on Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. Using a new Insight tab within Supervision, parents can see the topics their teens have been asking Meta AI over the past week.
Topics include School, Entertainment, Health, Travel, and Lifestyle. By clicking on a topic, parents can see various categories that topic includes. This gives parents some important insights into the areas of interest or curiosity (or possible distress) that their teen is exploring.
“We understand that AI is a new and evolving technology, and one that parents may not always feel confident talking about with their teens. That’s why we worked with the Cyberbullying Research Center to develop conversation starters: open-ended questions parents can ask their teens that are designed to help start non-judgmental conversations about their experiences with AI.”
Parents can find these conversation starters on Meta’s Family Center website, as well as through the Insight tab.
When it comes to serious issues such as self-harm, Meta recently announced new alerts for parents. If their teen searches Instagram about topics related to suicide or self-harm, parents will be alerted through email or text. A similar alert system will roll out for Meta AI later this year.
This update builds upon the burgeoning safeguards for AI and Teen Accounts in Meta. For Teen Accounts, Meta AI will act according to a PG-13 movie. Certain questions may not be answered, and the AI may direct the user to resources instead.
Meta also announced the new AI Wellbeing Expert Council, a panel of experts to help shape AI’s usage and experience for teens. The advisory group is affiliated with the National Council for Suicide Prevention, the University of Michigan, the University of Texas, and the University of Southern California. The council provides feedback and input regarding ethical and responsible AI usage, including the newly developed insights for parents announced today.
