Artificial Intelligence and Social Media

This article examines the legal questions and problems raised by theincreasing use of artificial intelligence tools on social media services, in particularfrom the perspective of the regulations specifically governing (electronic) media. Forthis purpose, the main characteristics of social media services are described, and thetypical forms of AI applications on social media services are briefly categorized. Theanalysis of the legal framework starts with the introduction of‘protective’and‘facilitative’media regulation as the two basic concepts and functions of medialaw in general and of the law governing information society services in particular.Against this background, the major legal challenges associated with the use of AI onsocial media services for both protective and facilitative media regulation arepresented. With respect to protective media regulation, these challenges includethe fundamental rights protection of AI-based communication on social mediaservices, legal options to restrict such forms of communication and the responsibilities of social media providers in view of unwanted content and unwantedblocking of content. As a major objective of facilitative regulation of social mediaAI, the regulatory handling of potential bias effects of AI-based contentfiltering onsocial media users is discussed, including phenomena commonly referred to as‘filterbubble’and‘echo chamber’effects.