Discussion and de-escalation in social media

Researchers want to develop a 'moderator' using artificial intelligence (AI) that can recognise hate messages in social media and intervene to de-escalate the situation. Funding from the Volkswagen Foundation. Photo: Dr Valentin Gold International research team awarded funding to develop AI-based, social media "moderator" It-s a familiar situation: a compelling discussion develops on Tw­­itter, Facebook or Instagram - it could be about any topic - but instead of working constructively towards a common solution, the tone becomes increasingly aggressive. The rift between the differing opinions grows ever larger. Often, intercultural differences and lack of understanding are the root causes of the conflict. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen now wants to develop a "moderator" using artificial intelligence (AI) that can recognise hate messages in social media and intervene to de-escalate the situation. The Volkswagen Foundation will fund the project for four years from April 2021 with a total of around 1.5 million euros.