Developing AI Tools to Boost Digital Literacy and Combat Online Exploitation

The University of Notre Dame is at the forefront of developing artificial intelligence tools to empower consumers in navigating online platforms. Assistant Professor Toby Li and his team have created browser plug-ins, Privacy Sandbox and Dark Pita, to help users understand how they are being exploited and manipulated online.

In a recent study, participants were able to experiment with online privacy settings using Privacy Sandbox, which replaced their data with AI-generated personas. This allowed users to see firsthand how websites target them based on various factors such as age, race, location, income, and household size.

Another study focused on dark patterns, design features on digital platforms that nudge users into specific actions. The Dark Pita browser plug-in was developed to identify and notify users of dark patterns on popular online platforms like Amazon, YouTube, and Facebook. Users can then modify the website code to counteract these deceptive design features.

Li believes that these tools democratize the use of AI for regular users, giving them the power to make informed decisions and protect themselves online. The research, presented at the 2024 Association of Computing Machinery CHI Conference, aims to bridge the privacy gap and empower end-users against oppressive algorithms.

This groundbreaking research was funded by Google Research Scholar Award, Google PSS Privacy Research Award, and the National Science Foundation. The team plans to make both browser plug-ins available to the public, providing a valuable resource for enhancing digital literacy and control in the online world.