Srinagar, June 30: A classroom survey conducted by second-semester students of Amar Singh College, Srinagar, has highlighted growing awareness among respondents about the cyber risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI), including deepfakes, misinformation, online scams and identity theft.
The study was carried out as part of a Skill Enhancement Course on Cyber Crime, guided by Prof. Zubair Nazeer.
The student team, led by Tuba and including Numair, Numan, Shah Rakeeb, Maliha Rasool, Hadika Zehra, Rafiya Riyaz, Mawiya, Aris, and Inayat Shafi, surveyed 400 people across three locations: 150 students at Girls High School Ichgam in Budgam, 200 students at Amar Singh College itself, and 50 members of the public at the Local Market Area and City Mall in Srinagar.
Hours lost to the scroll
The survey paints a picture of heavy daily social media use. Roughly 27.5% of respondents said they spend about an hour a day on social platforms, while a quarter spend closer to four hours, and another 22.5% reported about three hours daily. The remainder fell anywhere between 25 minutes and five hours — underscoring just how embedded social media has become in daily routines across age groups and backgrounds.
Students struggle to spot what’s real
At Girls High School Ichgam, students told researchers they primarily use social media for education, entertainment, and staying in touch with friends — but many admitted they often can’t tell the difference between authentic content and material generated by AI.
That difficulty wasn’t confined to school-age respondents. College students at Amar Singh reported regularly running into AI-generated images, fake news, misleading ads, and suspicious links while browsing.
Public worried about AI-driven scams
Among the general public surveyed in Srinagar’s commercial areas, concern centered specifically on AI-assisted scams, suggesting that fears about artificial intelligence’s misuse extend well beyond the classroom and into everyday commercial life.
Deepfakes and the misinformation problem
The report flags deepfake technology as one of the most alarming risks now facing social media users, noting that AI can generate videos, images, and voice recordings realistic enough to be mistaken for genuine content. The researchers also point to the accelerating spread of misinformation, and note that cyberbullying itself has evolved alongside AI tools, taking on new and harder-to-trace forms.
A double-edged sword
The survey’s authors conclude that AI has simultaneously strengthened social media as a tool for communication and learning while creating fresh openings for cybercriminals. Whether the technology ultimately becomes a net positive or a vector for harm, they argue, depends entirely on how responsibly it’s deployed.
