Skip to Content
logologo
AI Incident Database
Open TwitterOpen RSS FeedOpen FacebookOpen LinkedInOpen GitHub
Open Menu
Discover
Submit
  • Welcome to the AIID
  • Discover Incidents
  • Spatial View
  • Table View
  • List view
  • Entities
  • Taxonomies
  • Submit Incident Reports
  • Submission Leaderboard
  • Blog
  • AI News Digest
  • Risk Checklists
  • Random Incident
  • Sign Up
Collapse
Discover
Submit
  • Welcome to the AIID
  • Discover Incidents
  • Spatial View
  • Table View
  • List view
  • Entities
  • Taxonomies
  • Submit Incident Reports
  • Submission Leaderboard
  • Blog
  • AI News Digest
  • Risk Checklists
  • Random Incident
  • Sign Up
Collapse

Incident 873: YouTube Algorithms Allegedly Amplify Eating Disorder Content to Adolescent Girls

Description: YouTube's recommendation algorithm has allegedly been directing teen users to harmful content promoting eating disorders and self-harm, according to a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Almost 70% of the recommended videos in searches related to dieting or weight loss reportedly contained content likely to exacerbate body image anxieties.
Editor Notes: The full Center for Countering Digital Hate report is accessible at https://counterhate.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CCDH.YoutubeED.Nov24.Report_FINAL.pdf.

Tools

New ReportNew ReportNew ResponseNew ResponseDiscoverDiscoverView HistoryView History

Entities

View all entities
Alleged: YouTube and Google developed and deployed an AI system, which harmed Adolescent girls and YouTube users.
Alleged implicated AI system: YouTube

Incident Stats

Incident ID
873
Report Count
1
Incident Date
2024-12-10
Editors
Daniel Atherton
Applied Taxonomies
MIT

MIT Taxonomy Classifications

Machine-Classified
Taxonomy Details

Risk Subdomain

A further 23 subdomains create an accessible and understandable classification of hazards and harms associated with AI
 

1.2. Exposure to toxic content

Risk Domain

The Domain Taxonomy of AI Risks classifies risks into seven AI risk domains: (1) Discrimination & toxicity, (2) Privacy & security, (3) Misinformation, (4) Malicious actors & misuse, (5) Human-computer interaction, (6) Socioeconomic & environmental harms, and (7) AI system safety, failures & limitations.
 
  1. Discrimination and Toxicity

Entity

Which, if any, entity is presented as the main cause of the risk
 

AI

Timing

The stage in the AI lifecycle at which the risk is presented as occurring
 

Post-deployment

Intent

Whether the risk is presented as occurring as an expected or unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
 

Unintentional

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

+1
YouTube algorithms consistently push eating disorder and self-harm content to teen girls, new study finds
YouTube algorithms consistently push eating disorder and self-harm content to teen girls, new study finds

YouTube algorithms consistently push eating disorder and self-harm content to teen girls, new study finds

cbsnews.com

YouTube algorithms consistently push eating disorder and self-harm content to teen girls, new study finds
cbsnews.com · 2024

Anna Mockel was 14 and suddenly obsessed with losing weight. It was spring 2020, and she had just graduated eighth grade remotely. Housebound and nervous about the transition to high school that coming fall, she sacrificed innumerable hours…

Variants

A "variant" is an incident that shares the same causative factors, produces similar harms, and involves the same intelligent systems as a known AI incident. Rather than index variants as entirely separate incidents, we list variations of incidents under the first similar incident submitted to the database. Unlike other submission types to the incident database, variants are not required to have reporting in evidence external to the Incident Database. Learn more from the research paper.

Similar Incidents

By textual similarity

Did our AI mess up? Flag the unrelated incidents

Teenager at Broward College Allegedly Wrongfully Accused of Cheating via Remote Proctoring

Teenager at Broward College Allegedly Wrongfully Accused of Cheating via Remote Proctoring

Feb 2022 · 1 report
TayBot

TayBot

Mar 2016 · 28 reports
Uber AV Killed Pedestrian in Arizona

Uber AV Killed Pedestrian in Arizona

Mar 2018 · 25 reports
Previous IncidentNext Incident

Similar Incidents

By textual similarity

Did our AI mess up? Flag the unrelated incidents

Teenager at Broward College Allegedly Wrongfully Accused of Cheating via Remote Proctoring

Teenager at Broward College Allegedly Wrongfully Accused of Cheating via Remote Proctoring

Feb 2022 · 1 report
TayBot

TayBot

Mar 2016 · 28 reports
Uber AV Killed Pedestrian in Arizona

Uber AV Killed Pedestrian in Arizona

Mar 2018 · 25 reports

Research

  • Defining an “AI Incident”
  • Defining an “AI Incident Response”
  • Database Roadmap
  • Related Work
  • Download Complete Database

Project and Community

  • About
  • Contact and Follow
  • Apps and Summaries
  • Editor’s Guide

Incidents

  • All Incidents in List Form
  • Flagged Incidents
  • Submission Queue
  • Classifications View
  • Taxonomies

2024 - AI Incident Database

  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Open twitterOpen githubOpen rssOpen facebookOpen linkedin
  • ecd56df