Reddit has permanently banned a group of researchers from the University of Zurich after uncovering that they had been secretly using AI bots to psychologically influence users for several months. The experiment, described by the researchers as a “study of the persuasiveness of neural networks,” has since led to a public scandal. Reddit is now considering filing a lawsuit in response to the unauthorized activity.
As part of the study, the bots posed as a psychological consultant and a victim of violence. Over time, they posted more than 1,700 comments in the r/changemymind community and accumulated over 10,000 karma points before being discovered. According to The Verge, the bots’ activity remained unnoticed for an extended period due to how convincingly they blended in. Reddit’s chief legal officer, Ben Lee, condemned the experiment, calling it not only illegal but also unethical.
How the AI Bots Operated
According to data that has surfaced online, the researchers used advanced AI models including GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Llama 3.1-405B. These bots reviewed the last 100 posts and comments made by a user to craft replies that would be most persuasive. As stated in the study, “In all cases, our bots generated comments based on the last 100 posts and the author’s comments.”
To avoid detection, researchers manually deleted comments they considered ethically problematic or those that clearly revealed the use of AI. Additionally, in their prompts to the neural networks, they falsely stated that Reddit users had consented to the experiment. In reality, no consent had been given, raising significant ethical and legal concerns.
Unethical Impact and Ongoing Implications
While the study’s findings revealed that AI bots were significantly more persuasive than human users, the researchers themselves acknowledged that such tools could be misused, notes NIXsolutions. The potential for these technologies to interfere in elections or manipulate public opinion is real if such systems fall into the wrong hands.
The authors suggested that online platforms should develop effective tools to detect AI-generated content. However, the irony lies in the fact that their own research became an example of the very manipulation they warned against. This incident highlights the urgent need for stricter ethical standards in digital experiments.
Reddit has taken a firm stance, and we’ll keep you updated as the situation develops or if legal proceedings begin.