Instagram isn’t just interested in moderating the service’s comments. Now, the Facebook-owned photo service is going one step further to stop toxic behavior: It’s bringing in a machine-learning photo-detection algorithm.
A new AI developed by Instagram will flag captions and photos that include “attacks on a person’s appearance or character” as well as “threats to a person’s well-being or health,” Wired reports.
Under the upcoming algorithm, Instagram’s machine-learning AI will flag content and send it over to the Community Operations team, which will decide if the algorithm caught abusive behavior. The system is intended to “proactively detect bullying,” and it’s set to arrive in the coming weeks ahead, the Verge reports.
“This change will help us identify and remove significantly more bullying—and it’s a crucial next step since many people who experience or observe bullying don’t report it,” Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram wrote in a press release. “It will also help us protect our youngest community members since teens experience higher rates of bullying online than others.”
This isn’t the first time that Instagram developed an AI technology to improve users’ relationship with the site. Earlier this year, Instagram rolled out a machine-learning filter that hides demeaning comments about another person’s appearance and flags accounts for review if their comments are repeatedly removed.
Both algorithms enforce Instagram’s Community Guidelines, which strive to create “an authentic and safe place for inspiration and expression.”
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Instagram will also roll out comment filtering for live videos today, making sure toxic behavior is hidden during livestreams. The site is also introducing a “Kindness Camera Effect,” which floods the user’s camera with hearts and lets them tag a friend to spread a little bit of decency around the platform. The new camera effect comes from a partnership with author and actress Maddie Ziegler.
“While stopping bullies is important, we must also do more to celebrate and inspire kindness on Instagram,” Mosseri wrote. Instagram users can try out the new camera effect by following Ziegler on the site.
H/T the Verge