Science & Technology

Nextdoor Launches New Assistant Feature

Nextdoor social network on Tuesday, May 2, introduced a new feature that is based on generative artificial intelligence.

Nextdoor Launches New Assistant Feature

Source: Pixabay.com

The company is launching a new Assistant feature that allows users to write better texts for publications in terms of content and media style. This solution operates based on ChatGPT from OpenAI.

The main purpose of the Assistant function is for the user to be able to create a publication that is highly likely to provide a subsequent experience of positive interaction with the community. When writing the next text, the participants of the social network will see alternative versions of the sentences and will be able to use them. Also, this function will prevent comments whose content is characterized by unjustified aggression and excessive bias, so that the user can formulate his thought in a more peaceful form and not become a source of negativity.

Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar said that after the launch of ChatGPT in November last year, her company saw an opportunity to train an artificial intelligence model with its knowledge to make publications on the social network more attractive. She also noted that the Assistant’s function is focused on a formulation of meanings and thoughts that helps to attract attention from community members.

Currently, Nextdoor has a Kindness Reminder function that notifies users of the platform’s recommendations and encourages them to analyze in more detail the content of the message being prepared for publication in terms of the impact of the statement in the text on potential readers in moral and ethical terms.

A new solution based on generative artificial intelligence will make the communication process within the community kinder. The Assistant function will allow conveying an idea to the interlocutor so that there is no precedent for humiliation, discrimination, or unfair belittling of the value of a different opinion, and the content of the message is constructive.

Nextdoor states that new AI technologies allow the platform to provide users with more personalized and relevant content by analyzing the topic and context of the communication process. This means that the materials belonging to the recommended category will be more in line with the interests of the community participants and takes into account the focus of their attention concerning the news agenda.

Friar says that Nextdoor focuses on the priority of security when implementing new solutions. The head of the company notes that users are not required to interact with the Assistant function. They can continue to publish materials of the type of formulation and content that seem most appropriate for them, adhering to the recommendations of the platform.

Initially, testing of the new feature affected 25% of social network users. Since May 2, the audience coverage has been expanding, but so far it has not reached the 100% mark. Friar says that the use of the function in a test format will continue shortly because before deciding on absolute availability, you should make sure that the technology complies with safety standards.

The head of the company said that Nextdoor specialists will ensure that the interaction of users and artificial intelligence does not provoke unforeseen consequences. She noted that the introduction of any new technology is associated with security risks, but her firm aims to make AI accessible to the masses. Separately, Friar stressed that, in her opinion, everyone has the right to understand how the new technological solution affects his life.

Nextdoor plans to continue testing generative artificial intelligence models and is creating a team of specialists of the appropriate profile, led by Qi He, who joined the company last year after more than eight years of work at LinkedIn.

Last year, the application of this social network was updated. New profiles have been added and the functionality for creating a community has been expanded.

As we have reported earlier, OpenAI Reopens ChatGPT to Italian Users.

Serhii Mikhailov

3123 Posts 0 Comments

Serhii’s track record of study and work spans six years at the Faculty of Philology and eight years in the media, during which he has developed a deep understanding of various aspects of the industry and honed his writing skills; his areas of expertise include fintech, payments, cryptocurrency, and financial services, and he is constantly keeping a close eye on the latest developments and innovations in these fields, as he believes that they will have a significant impact on the future direction of the economy as a whole.