Source: TheDrum
YouTube has said AI is, in some cases, better than humans at purging extremist videos from within its walls, and that machine learning tech has helped it double the speed at which it is able to take down content which violates the rules.
According to YouTube its AI systems have proven more effective than human beings at flagging videos which need to be removed.
Just over a month ago the platform’s parent company announced plans to increase its use of machine learning technology to help it identify extremist and terrorism-related videos on YouTube. The move was part of a four-pronged strategy to combat the spread of such content online following a brand safety crisis earlier on this year, during which giants like M&S, the Guardian and the UK government pulled ad spend from YouTube and the Google Display Network following concerns over unintentional ad misplacement.
The tech giant has now posted an update saying it has made progress in tackling the issue, which in some cases resulted in neo-Nazi videos and extreme pornography appearing adjacent to ads from household names.
YouTube claimed that during the past month or so when it’s been testing new AI-powered detection and removal tools that over 75% of the videos it has removed for violent extremism were purged before receiving a single human flag. The platform has said it believes the accuracy of its systems have improved “dramatically” due to machine learning.
Google’s strategy to tackle the spread of extremism online and protect advertisers, also includes tougher standards for videos and the recruitment of more experts to flag content in need of review. Earlier this year, Google also inked a deal with ComScore to provide independent verification that its inventory is brand safe.
