AI bots secretly deployed on Reddit spark outrage and legal threats
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A controversial research project led by the University of Zurich has drawn widespread criticism after it was revealed that AI-powered bots were secretly used to influence discussions on Reddit without informing users.
The experiment, which infiltrated the popular subreddit r/ChangeMyView, aimed to test the persuasive capabilities of chatbots posing as real people.
During the study, these AI bots posted over 1,700 comments on the subreddit, engaging in debates on sensitive topics such as race, gender, and trauma. Without disclosing their artificial nature, the bots blended into the community of nearly four million members. Some even impersonated personal identities, such as a Black man criticising the Black Lives Matter movement or a male survivor of sexual assault downplaying its effects.
According to a report by 404 Media, the bots were significantly more persuasive than human users - by a factor of three to six - based on Reddit's own system for recognising changed opinions.
The study used techniques like analysing individual user histories to craft tailored, highly convincing responses. Remarkably, no Redditors suspected they were interacting with AI.
The backlash was swift. Moderators of r/ChangeMyView condemned the study, calling it unethical and conducted without consent.
They rejected the researchers’ defense that the novelty of the experiment justified the secrecy.
Reddit's Chief Legal Officer, Ben Lee, posting under the alias "traceroo," called the research a clear violation of the site’s policies and users’ rights, and stated that Reddit is considering legal action against the University of Zurich.
In response to the growing controversy, the university told 404 Media that it will not publish the findings of the study. Its ethics committee has since revised its guidelines to prevent similar incidents in the future.
