To try to slow and limit the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic, even the most important technology companies in the world have asked or forced their employees to work from home. Some of these companies – notably Google and Facebook – have indicated that one of the consequences will be a greater use of algorithms and artificial intelligences to regulate their services. This could lead, for example, to greater slowness and inaccuracy in the way in which everything that users post on the platforms, for example on YouTube or Instagram, will be managed, controlled and possibly removed.
Usually to verify that the content posted by users respects the rules of a site there is both an automatic check, done through certain algorithms, and a human one, done by someone who actually reads, watches and evaluates that content. As Reuters wrote, one of the possible consequences of this necessary reorganization could be an increase in the number of errors (for example the removal of a content that, thanks to greater human control, would not have occurred) and a greater removal of ambiguous content. .
Google
In a statement dated March 16, the company said that only employees who perform jobs that cannot be done from home, for example those where you need to access sensitive information about users (such as when you have to help them recover a password or verify that an account has not been hacked). However, Google said that, “where possible”, it is trying to provide remote access to as many of its employees as possible.
Despite these efforts, however, the release speaks of the necessary “increase in automation” and specifies: “We have always used a combination of humans and machines to control the content on our platforms. For some time, given the situation, we will increase our reliance on automation systems, to ensure that fewer people have to go to their offices. ” Google also spoke of the possibility that this greater automation could lead to a slowdown in the offer of assistance and support to some of its customers, in the longer time necessary to verify that certain contents comply with all the rules and, in the event that users make use, longer time to decide whether to accept it or not. Google has also provided more specific information for YouTube users.
Facebook
“To keep our employees safe”, wrote Facebook in a statement updated on March 16, “we asked all those who can do it to working from home”. Like Google, Facebook also specified that “for legal, security and privacy reasons, certain jobs cannot be done from home.”
Things to know about coronavirus The Coronavirus Post newsletter updates you on the latest news: it's free and arrives every Thursday at 6pm. To receive it, write your email address here and press the button below. Having read the information, I agree to send the Newsletter As for the control of what is posted on its platforms, Facebook wrote that “with fewer people available for human control” it will increase the use of other automation tools. He then added, however, that “this approach may have some limitations and there may be longer response times and more errors”.
Other companies
Twitter has also announced that it will increase its automation and “machine learning” processes (thus exploiting artificial intelligences) and that certain of its verification may be less efficient than usual. It is possible that other companies, particularly those offering different social networking features, will make or have made similar decisions.
The recent releases from Facebook, Twitter and Google are among other things one of the proofs that in order to respond to the complicated situation caused by the coronavirus, and to apply the measures taken to contain its spread, the main US technology companies are trying to move together, as recently seen in a joint statement made by Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter and YouTube.
The technology industry is working closely together in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world on COVID-19 response efforts. Read our full statement. pic.twitter.com/Xn0fhyJLXm
– Google Public Policy (@googlepubpolicy) March 17, 2020
