The use of artificial intelligence is growing by leaps and bounds. According to a new study by Jigsaw, Alphabet's security team, today's youth are increasingly relying on AI, especially when it comes to avoiding boredom.
As explained in the study, Jigsaw recently conducted an in-person survey over two years in the United States and India to examine how Generation Z, young people aged 18 to 24, trust the content they consume the internet based on generative AI.
Generation Z currently spends the most time online. The data from the study shows that this generation can seamlessly switch between different mindsets and moods when browsing the internet, which the researchers have termed "information mode."
These information modes determine how and why the study participants trust generative AI and how they use their skills to read, write, calculate, understand, communicate, etc. They often prefer to avoid these skills because they are primarily concerned with entertainment when surfing the internet. Having familiarized themselves with the algorithms, they want to pass the time and have adopted heuristics. Above all, they value efficiency and have no qualms about using generative AI to achieve their goals quickly, even at the expense of accuracy.
An example of this is that the young people in the study do not care what is true or false as long as what they consult on the internet entertains them. The study suggests that participants try to avoid boredom by mixing real and fake news with videos, memes and more. Even if they can tell them apart, they do not care.
This generation is also more likely to avoid reading long articles or downright flee from websites that contain numerous ads, paywalls or annoying notifications. The researchers state: "Consequently, literacy interventions need to be designed to intervene at the right moment, be tailored to the different types of information, and work alongside existing fact-checking practices."
