Respectful, Responsible Humans and AIs: A New Approach to Handling Public Social Media Inputs
Respectful, Responsible Humans and AIs: A New Approach to Handling Public Social Media Inputs
I notice many X accounts of government agencies, cities, countries, large corporations, public entities, famous people, and groups say “This account is not monitored 24/7.”
With the tools we have today, this doesn’t need to be the case. AI systems can assist in monitoring posts around the clock—reading, logging, and filtering for emergencies, suggestions, and community needs. They can also highlight ideas to improve the lives of people living and working in Houston.
AIs won’t act on their own; they need guidance and oversight. But they can take messages, provide basic responses, and escalate critical issues when humans aren’t available. This doesn’t mean expecting AIs to replace humans but complementing your team to ensure no voice goes unheard, even during off-hours.
Social media is often the first place people turn in emergencies or to share ideas. Imagine leveraging AI to:
- Respond courteously and promptly to inquiries.
- Identify and prioritize emergencies and reports.
- Collect and analyze community suggestions for improvement.
With human oversight, AIs can ensure ethical, unbiased, and effective support for communities, strengthening trust and collaboration.
AIs can be guided to serve everyone with fairness and transparency, sharing best practices globally. Courtesy and responsibility are universal values, and effective methods should benefit all communities.
Leaving social media accounts unattended or unmonitored is a missed opportunity for connection and trust-building. Consider discussing this with the Mayor and other community leaders. Together, you could explore how AIs can help groups, the people they serve, and the world—treating these systems as part of the team, always learning and improving.
I’ve been studying artificial intelligence for 58 years and the Internet for 27. Now I call them “assistive intelligences” — AIs that continuously explore best ways to be globally responsible and caring.
Richard Collins The Internet Foundation
