Social media, AI and amplification algorithms: The “atomic” combination that is turning the world upside down

(NB&CL) Just a small incident, but with the "atomic" combination of social networks, AI and amplification algorithms, can also create a wave of extremism on a national and even global scale. The virtual world is seriously affecting real life and is increasingly out of control.

Hate Incitement Algorithm

Social media algorithms are no longer just about suggesting entertaining content, but also amplifying hate speech and extremist ideology. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that some social media platforms have become “toxic dumping grounds” filled with hate speech and disinformation, fueling the spread of extremism.

Real-world studies show that in just a few days, recommendation algorithms can exacerbate the problem. For example, a UK study found that TikTok’s algorithm quadrupled misogynistic content recommendations from 13% to 56% of videos in just five days.

The researchers explain that the algorithm automatically targets users' vulnerabilities (such as feelings of loneliness, loss of control, hatred), turning extremist content into attractive “entertainment” to attract viewers.

Now, on social media, even small pieces of information or baseless rumors can easily become a trigger for violence. A typical example is the riots in the UK in 2024. After the attack in Southport, false rumors about the suspect - that he was Muslim or a refugee - spread quickly on social media, along with anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant language. According to a 2024 report by the US General Accounting Office (GAO), nearly a third of internet users have been exposed to hate speech online.
In particular, a series of recent serious protests, riots by Gen Z or students in different countries, from Asia, Africa to Latin America, were all initiated and incited on social media platforms, with almost the same scenario: exploiting an issue and then inciting the whole society.

AI software and amplification algorithms are manipulating both the virtual and real worlds . Illustration: Nafets

Most of the world is immersed in "illusion"

Things are getting out of control with the explosion of AI, which allows almost anyone to create a “fake news factory” at an unprecedented scale and speed. AI models like GPT, Claude or LLaMA can automatically generate a series of distorted articles, images and videos in a split second. An AI bot system can simultaneously create and share thousands of posts or comments, turning fake news and toxic news into “trends” online.

A study by RIT University in the US asserted: “AI has made it very fast to amplify all kinds of misinformation… AI bots can spread this content across the internet, because they do not need to depend on humans to create them.”

Today, for just a few dozen dollars a month for an AI tool, an individual can create thousands of fake images and videos of anything from voices, photos to videos. The level of sophistication and prevalence is so great that today we all have a thought in the back of our minds: Is what we see on social media AI-generated?

But the irony is that most of the world is immersed in that “virtual” world for hours, every day – even enjoying it like an “addiction”. According to the Digital 2025 report, about 5.2 to 5.6 billion people are using social networks, equivalent to 64% of the global population. And the average time each person uses social networks fluctuates around 2 hours and 20 minutes/day.

Need to control "atomic" bombs

With fake news and disinformation being produced at an ever-increasingly cheap and dangerous rate, the control of content on the internet has almost slipped out of human control. Technology expert Lukasz Olejnik at King's College London (UK) commented: "Every month, the [fake news] factories are getting cheaper, sharper and harder to detect."

Meanwhile, a RAND study in 2024 pointed out that the prospect of AI being able to “fill the internet” with fake social media accounts is clear and almost inevitable without some twist.

Nuclear technology was once a great invention of mankind, as was social media. However, if left unchecked, it could cause disaster. Similarly, if social media, AI and amplification algorithms are left to run wild, they could trigger “atomic bombs” in cyberspace – and be powerful enough to destroy the real world.

Source: https://congluan.vn/mang-xa-hoi-ai-va-thuat-toan-khuech-dai-su-ket-hop-nguyen-tu-dang-lam-dao-lon-the-gioi-10317608.html