Swiss boffins admit to secretly posting AI-penned posts to Reddit in the name of science
Researchers from the University of Zurich have admitted to secretly posting AI-generated material to popular Subreddit r/changemyview in the name of science.
As the researchers explain in a draft report on their work: “In r/changemyview, users share opinions on various topics, challenging others to change their perspectives by presenting arguments and counterpoints while engaging in a civil conversation.” Readers of the subreddit assess post and acknowledge posts that change their perspectives.
BREAKING: The University of Zurich has been using AI bots to secretly manipulate Redditors since November 2024.
The scariest part?
The bots were 6 times more likely to change the minds of Redditors than the baseline, often by leveraging misinformation.More below pic.twitter.com/mZnhj6I9YS
— Reddit Lies (@reddit_lies) April 28, 2025
h/t Patti Jo
