AI Algorithms on Social Media Linked to Child Mental Health Harm in Croatia

The event involves AI systems explicitly through the discussion of social media algorithms that recommend harmful content, which has directly led to mental health harms among children and young people. The article describes realized harm (mental health deterioration, eating disorders) caused indirectly by AI-driven content recommendation algorithms. Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Incident because the AI system's use has directly or indirectly led to significant harm to a group of people (children and youth).

The article explicitly identifies the social media recommendation algorithm as a key mechanism causing harm by keeping children engaged with content that negatively impacts their mental health. The harms described include increased depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and exposure to inappropriate content, which fall under harm to health and harm to communities. The AI system's use (the algorithm) is directly linked to these harms. The discussion of legislative responses and societal concern supports the recognition of this as an AI Incident rather than a mere hazard or complementary information. The presence of realized harm and the AI system's pivotal role in causing it justify classification as an AI Incident.

The article explicitly identifies the role of AI algorithms in social media platforms as a direct cause of harm to children's mental health, including depression, anxiety, and exposure to harmful content. This constitutes a violation of health and well-being (harm to persons) and harm to communities. Since the harm is occurring and the AI system's use is central to causing this harm, this qualifies as an AI Incident. The article also discusses societal and legislative responses, but the primary focus is on the realized harm caused by AI systems.

The article explicitly identifies the social media algorithms as AI systems that are causing harm by promoting addictive and harmful content to children, leading to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. The harm is realized and ongoing, not just potential. The discussion of legislative responses and public concern supports the significance of the harm. Therefore, this event meets the criteria for an AI Incident due to direct harm to health and communities caused by the AI system's use.