Discord will soon require users worldwide to verify their age with a face scan or ID to access adult content, while the EU has told Meta to allow rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp, and a new study suggests AI chatbots give inaccurate medical advice. These developments highlight the evolving landscape of online platforms and the challenges they face regarding safety, competition, and the reliability of AI.
Discord, which boasts over 200 million monthly users, announced it would implement age verification globally from early March, according to BBC Technology. This move aims to protect users by placing everyone into a teen-appropriate experience "by default," as stated by the platform. The company already employs age checks in the UK and Australia to comply with online safety laws.
Meanwhile, the European Union has taken action against Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp. The EU has accused Meta of breaching its rules by blocking rival AI firms' chatbots from the messaging app, as reported by BBC Technology. The EU views WhatsApp as a crucial entry point for AI chatbots like ChatGPT to reach users and claims Meta is abusing its dominant position. A Meta spokesperson told the BBC the EU had "no reason" to intervene, claiming the EU "incorrectly" assumed WhatsApp Business was a key way that people use chatbots.
In the realm of AI, a study from the University of Oxford, also covered by BBC Technology, revealed that AI chatbots provide inaccurate and inconsistent medical advice, potentially posing risks to users. Researchers found that people using AI for healthcare advice received a mix of good and bad responses, making it difficult to determine which advice to trust. Dr. Rebecca Payne, the lead medical practitioner on the study, warned that it could be "dangerous" for people to ask chatbots about their symptoms.
In other news, according to Al Jazeera, more details are emerging daily from the January 30 release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, exposing the breadth of his social and financial circle. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, used his wealth and connections to orchestrate a sex trafficking ring.
Finally, TechCrunch reported that many YouTubers are reducing their reliance on ad revenue and brand deals due to the unpredictability of ad revenue and platform policy changes. The platform's creative ecosystem added over $55 billion to the U.S. GDP and created more than 490,000 full-time jobs, according to the company. However, YouTubers are diversifying their income streams to mitigate the volatility of platform-dependent revenue.
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