NSFW AIs have immense implications, most notably toward free speech, in how the content is moderated-from Facebook and Instagram all the way down to Twitter. Designed to filter inappropriate or explicit content, these AI systems scan millions of posts, images, and comments per minute. This saves the internet as a safer place but begs more questions about how free speech is affected in particular instances when the AI systems misinterpret language or context. Different studies have equally shown that nsfw AI tools can misclassify up to 10-15% of content due to an inability to understand nuances like sarcasm or cultural references. At this rate of error, that would equate to posts being removed or suppressed that, in reality, may make no actual violation.
One critical issue arises over how the services balance safety against freedom of expression. In taking down harmful content with the use of an nsfw AI, often to dodge having hundreds of human moderators on their payroll, the costs cut down as much as 40% because they would need fewer moderators. All this may easily lead to over-censorship-that is, inadvertently flagging and removing legitimate speech. For example, in 2020, posts about the Black Lives Matter movement were mistakenly removed by Facebook's AI systems, which infuriated many and dampened the public perception of AI being able to handle sensitive social and political discussions.
The impacts of NSFW AI extend even beyond the platforms themselves. Users are greatly of the feeling that automated moderation limits their ability to have open discussion, especially where the AI cannot tell offensive or non-offensive usage. The pressure this places on platforms is to get it right by way of a balance between automated moderation and human review so as not to infringe users' rights to free expression.
Mark Zuckerberg once said, "We need to be very careful about the decisions we make in these areas because they affect what people can say." He meant that thoughtful moderation strategies should be undertaken, especially when using AI to handle massive volumes of content.
How then does the nsfw ai affect free speech? While it plays an essential role in preserving safety on online platforms, the inability to understand the context can go to the extent of overcensorship and damage users' freedom of speech. For more on what nsfw ai can and can't do, check out nsfw ai.