Facebook testing AI to get users to stop fighting in groups

Conversations can quickly spiral out of control online, so Facebook is hoping artificial intelligence can help keep things civil. The social network is testing the use of AI to spot fights in its many groups so group administrators can help calm things down, CNN reports.

The announcement came in a blog post Wednesday, in which Facebook rolled out a number of new software tools to assist the more than 70 million people who run and moderate groups on its platform. Facebook, which has 2.85 billion monthly users, said late last year that more than 1.8 billion people participate in groups each month, and that there are tens of millions of active groups on the social network.

Along with Facebook's new tools, AI will decide when to send out what the company calls "conflict alerts" to those who maintain groups. The alerts will be sent out to administrators if AI determines that a conversation in their group is "contentious or "unhealthy", the company said.