Facebook claims its AI system is getting better at detecting unwanted content

Facebook claims its AI is getting more skilled at keeping a close watch on banned, unwanted content. Facebook is spending billions of dollars every year to keep its platform clean. Facebook has employed more than 35,000 people to remove content that doesn't comply with its community guidelines.

"Our efforts are paying off," Zuckerberg said. "Systems we built for addressing these issues are more advanced."

According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted, hate speech is tougher for AI to detect than nudity in images or video because of "linguistic nuances" that require context that could make even common words menacing.

Facebook's AI system

Facebook's internal testings blocked 95 per cent of attempts to upload Christchurch mosque shooting that was live-streamed by the attacker in March.

Facebook has terrorism experts as part of a team of more than 350 people devoted to preventing terrorist groups from using the social network, according to the head of global policy management Monika Bickert. In September, Facebook said its automated systems remove the content glorifying the Islamic State group and al-Qaida before it’s reported.

However, Facebook's AI system to detect unwanted content is no way limited to its main platform. In fact, Facebook is also using it on Instagram to crack down on suicide or self-harm content.

Earlier this year, Instagram clamped down on images of self-injury after a British teen who went online to read about suicide took her own life. The 14-year-old's social media history revealed that she followed accounts about depression and suicide. The case sparked a vigorous debate in Britain about parental control and state regulation of children's social media use.

In related news, Facebook said it cracked down on billions of fake accounts this year. While Facebook says its ability to 'detect and block' attempts to create fake and abusive accounts has been improved, it also claims it prevents millions of attempts from creating fake accounts every day using its advanced detection systems.

Apart from hate speech, Facebook said it also pulled the plug on 1.85 crores instances of child nudity and sexual exploitation from its main platform and 13 lakh similar instances from Instagram in the April-September period.

READ | Top reasons why Facebook removed 302 crores fake accounts in 6 months alone