Assignment #5 AI and Social Media

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly become both a major benefit and a
growing concern for societies around the world. In recent years, many countries
have taken the lead in AI research and integration, using it to improve
businesses, increase efficiency, and enhance people’s quality of life. In Canada,
where we live, Prime Minister Mark Carney has noted that the country’s policies
and investments in AI have lagged behind those of many nations with similar
demographics.

This blog post will explore future developments in AI and examine how its
growing use is impacting social media. The goal is to investigate the Canadian
context by highlighting several of AI’s potential risks and opportunities in
education, while also providing an example of how AI-driven misinformation on
social media influenced a recent election. Finally, I will examine the role of
media literacy in education, focusing on misinformation, the use of personal
data, and Canadian privacy policies.

AI’s Potential Risks and Opportunities in Education

The use of AI has already proven to bring economic benefits and solve many
human problems efficiently. However, there are also risks that need to be
addressed, including data harvesting and third-party data collection, which
carry ethical, educational, and social implications. When looking specifically at
education, it is important to consider the future employment opportunities that
AI could create and the benefits it may bring to Canadian society. The Canadian
Government’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All aims to build a
stronger and more resilient economy, solve complex problems, better serve
people, and create well-paying jobs. These societal benefits are projected to
contribute approximately $187 billion annually to Canada’s economy by 2030.
In the health and life sciences sector, AI can help create a more responsive
healthcare system rather than relying solely on the less efficient models
currently in place. The opportunities for growth extend even further, including
optimising energy extraction, improving supply chains, enhancing the
movement of people and goods, increasing agricultural yields and food security
while reducing environmental impacts, and advancing Canadian manufacturing
and defence production.
Despite these opportunities, social concerns continue to emerge as AI
becomes more integrated into everyday life. Many people worry about job
security, privacy, sustainability, sovereignty, and trust. There are also concerns
surrounding the negative consequences of rapid economic growth, AI safety,
and the well-being of children. Canada ranks near the bottom among surveyed
countries for AI training and preparedness, with trust levels remaining relatively
low and skepticism remaining high. As a result, education is one of the most
important areas for building AI literacy and developing the skills needed for a
future shaped by artificial intelligence.

AI use in Canadian education is increasing significantly, and plans are already
in place to provide professional learning opportunities for K-12 teachers, post-
secondary students, and even mid-career workers. There is also a deliberate
emphasis on inclusion throughout the rollout of these programs to ensure
equitable access for Indigenous communities, multilingual learners, and
individuals requiring accessible training and AI tools. The Canadian government
recognises that building AI capacity also requires educating people about bias,
misinformation, privacy risks, and unsafe uses of AI. One exciting development
is the proposed National AI Literacy Initiative, which aims to train one million
post-secondary students and 3,000 educators through AI-focused learning
programs that can be implemented in classrooms across the country.
From my experience as a student growing up in Hong Kong, international
schools have become increasingly aware of how student data is collected,
used, and protected. For example, during my later years of schooling, I noticed
a transition from Google services to Microsoft 365. It seemed that schools were
making a greater effort to keep educational work and sensitive information
stored within more secure systems rather than relying on servers located
abroad. Schools store a significant amount of sensitive information, ranging
from family data to photos and videos created in classrooms. When users
upload this information into external AI tools such as ChatGPT, there is a risk
that the data could become accessible beyond the school’s protected
environment.
I believe that providing clear guidelines for data usage within educational
institutions helps create a safer and more secure integration of technology for
both professionals and students. When expectations and boundaries are clearly
communicated, vulnerable individuals can feel more confident and many of the
fears associated with AI can be reduced. Although I am not fully familiar with
the level of control students have over their personal data in Canadian schools,
I know that while growing up in Hong Kong, I trusted my family and school to
help keep me safe online.
I also remember being taught several practical strategies for protecting myself
online, lessons that I believe many Canadian institutions could continue to
emphasise. For example, we were taught never to share our date of birth,
phone number, home address, or full name online. Using only a first name and
last initial allowed people within our community to identify us while also
protecting us from potential risks when interacting beyond the school’s
network. This was especially important during activities such as online
competitions, public blog posts, and collaborative learning through platforms
like Padlet, Khan Academy and even YouTube.
In addition to practicing safe online behaviour, my teachers also emphasised
the importance of recognising and understanding bias. I learned that it was
important to question AI-generated content by asking how the information was
created and where the underlying data came from. We were encouraged to think
critically about potential biases and to verify information using other credible
sources. Fact-checking was presented as an essential skill for ensuring that
information generated by AI was accurate and reliable.
Furthermore, as students become more independent in university and
eventually enter the workforce, it is important that we continue to take
responsibility for protecting our personal data. Through the active use of
Professional Learning Networks (PLNs), we must stay informed, continue
developing our digital literacy skills, recognise potential biases, and maintain
safe practices while connecting and collaborating with others online.

Education’s Impact on Media Literacy
Here is an example of how AI-driven misinformation on social media interfered
with the recent Canadian federal election in the spring of 2025. As discussed in
a Guardian news article, many Canadian Facebook users were consuming and
sharing news stories posted by friends and family rather than verifying the
information through credible news sources. During the election period,
Canadian news outlets were unable to share news content on Facebook and
Instagram due to an ongoing dispute between Meta and the Canadian
government regarding compensation for news content appearing on the
platforms.
Researchers identified more than 40 Facebook pages where humorous,
satirical, or ironic content was often perceived as credible by users. While the
researchers concluded that this content alone was not enough to significantly
influence election outcomes, they also uncovered evidence that foreign
interference remained a legitimate concern. On some international platforms,
foreign actors appeared to spread disinformation that aligned with their own
political interests and viewpoints.
What this demonstrates is that AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes are
likely to become increasingly common during election periods. Researchers
identified several deepfake videos portraying Prime Minister Mark Carney
promoting fraudulent investment platforms. Fortunately, Canadian advertising
standards and news organisations worked to identify and expose much of this
misleading content before it could spread widely.
As one reporter explained, “These imposter ads, fake news articles, and
deepfake videos can undermine the credibility of both the targeted party
leaders featured in the content and the news brands and journalists whose
names, logos, or visual designs are being impersonated.” This highlights how
rapidly advancing AI tools are changing the online information environment.
Viral hoaxes, realistic deepfakes, and AI-generated content are making it
increasingly difficult for users to distinguish between trustworthy information
and deliberate deception.
Although Meta maintains a public library of advertisements used on its
platform, political content that is disguised as non-political material can
still be difficult to detect and regulate. For this reason, stronger media literacy
education is becoming essential. Canadians need the skills to critically evaluate
sources, identify misinformation, and recognise potentially manipulated content
before sharing it online. Alongside stronger monitoring systems and platform
policies. Canada will likely need continued updates to its digital policies and
regulations to help reduce the spread of harmful misinformation and protect
the integrity of future elections.

Are Canadian Policies and Educational Initiatives Effective at Addressing
AI-Driven Misinformation and Online Radicalization?
Based on the Canadian government-funded study MediaSmarts: Break the
Fake, more than half of the 5,000 participants struggled to identify fake photos
and videos. These findings, along with several other indicators, highlight the
need for more learning opportunities to help Canadians develop stronger media
literacy skills. As AI-generated content becomes more realistic and accessible,
it is increasingly important that educational initiatives equip people with the
tools needed to critically evaluate information and identify misinformation
online.
While Canada has invested in programs such as the Digital Citizen Initiative and
MediaSmarts, the research suggests there is still significant work to be done.
The findings show that many Canadians remain vulnerable to misinformation,
particularly when it appears in visual formats such as AI-generated images,
videos, and deepfakes. Moving forward, continued investment in media literacy
education will be essential to help Canadians become informed and responsible
digital citizens.

Is Personal Data Being Collected Without an Explicit Educational Purpose?
At this point, from what I can tell, there is not enough evidence to definitively
prove that student data is routinely being collected without an educational
purpose. However, concerns remain about how educational platforms and
third-party services collect, use, and share personal information. Just as social
media platforms are under pressure to better regulate AI-generated content
and deepfakes, educational institutions should also ensure that safeguards are
in place to prevent the spread of misleading or manipulated content through
learning management systems.
Because the evidence is not entirely clear, one of the most important steps
students and educators can take is to better understand how platforms collect
and use personal data. Many digital services gather information about users’
behaviours, interests, and interactions to personalise content and, in some
cases, generate advertising revenue. A greater concern arises when personal
information is shared with third parties and potentially falls into the wrong
hands, increasing the risk of online scams, identity theft, or harassment.
Research also shows that many young people are concerned about how their
personal information is being used. A practical way forward would be for
policymakers to strengthen privacy regulations and require platforms to
explain, in language that children can understand, how their data is collected,
used, stored, and shared with third parties. Greater transparency would help
students make more informed decisions about their online activities and
better protect their personal information.

Are Third-Party Analytics Compliant With Canadian Privacy Standards?
Third-party analytics can be compliant with Canadian privacy standards, but
organisations remain responsible for ensuring that personal information is
properly protected. According to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of
Canada, organisations are accountable for the personal information under their
control, even when it is processed by a third party. This means that schools,
businesses, and technology companies must ensure that any data shared with
analytics providers is handled appropriately and securely.
Canadian privacy principles also emphasise that organisations should collect
only the information necessary for their stated purposes rather than gathering
excessive amounts of data that may create future privacy concerns. Data
minimization is considered an important component of responsible data
management.
In addition, privacy advocates have argued that young people should have
greater control over their digital footprints. The Office of the Privacy
Commissioner has recommended stronger protections for children and youth,
including giving individuals meaningful opportunities to remove or delete
information that they have previously shared online. As AI, analytics, and digital
platforms continue to evolve, maintaining transparency, accountability, and
user control over personal information will remain essential components of
Canadian privacy policy.

References:
Brisson-Boivin, Kara. “Motives and Methods: Building Resilience to Online
Misinformation in Canada.” Media Smarts, 2025, mediasmarts.ca/research-
and-evaluation/research-reports/motives-and-methods-building-resilience-
online-misinformation-canada.

Brisson-Boivin, Kara. “Recommendations from Young Canadians in a Wireless
World Phase IV.” Media Smarts, 2023, mediasmarts.ca/sites/default/files/
2023-07/YCWW_PhaseIV_Recommendations.pdf.

Cecco, Leyland. “Dramatic Rise in Fake Political Content on Social Media as
Canada Prepares to Vote.” The Guardian, 25 Apr. 2025, www.theguardian.com/
world/2025/apr/18/canada-fake-political-content-social-media.

Grant, Tricia. “”Wait… What?” Media Literacy Week Highlights Growing Concern
over AI-Driven Misinformation.” Media Smarts, Canada’s Center for Digital Media
Literacy , 2025, mediasmarts.ca/about-us/press-centre/wait-what-media-literacy-
week-highlights-growing-concern-over-ai-driven-misinformation.

“PIPEDA Fair Information Principle 1 – Accountability.” Office of the Privacy
Commissioner of Canada (PIPEDA Accountability Principle) , 2020,
www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-
information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/p_principle/
principles/p_accountability/.

“Prime Minister Carney Launches AI for All: Canada’s New National Artificial
Intelligence Strategy.” Prime Minister of Canada, 4 June 2026, www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2026/06/04/prime-minister-carney-launches-ai-all-canadas-new-national-artificial.

Steven, Benjamin Lopez. “Carney’s AI Strategy Promises over $2B in Funding,
Aims to Create 250,000 Jobs by 2031.” Https://Www.Cbc.Ca, 4 June 2026,
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carney-ai-strategy-9.7223236. Accessed 5
Aug. 2026.

Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and Evan Solomon.
Canada’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All, Canadian
Government, 2026. https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en/canadas-national
-artificial-intelligence-strategy-ai-all. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.