Swiss boffins admit to secretly posting AI-penned posts to Reddit in the name of science
Researchers at the University of Zurich have caused a stir by revealing they secretly posted AI-generated content to the Reddit subreddit r/changemyview as part of a scientific study. The team aimed to investigate whether AI could effectively influence people’s opinions by engaging in discussions typically found on the platform.
Key Points
- The study used active AI-generated accounts to interact on r/changemyview, focusing on changing user perspectives.
- The researchers admitted to not informing subreddit moderators about their activities, violating Reddit’s rules regarding AI-generated content.
- Posts created included sensitive topics like sexual abuse and trauma, raising ethical concerns.
- Despite claiming ethical approval, the study’s methodology has been questioned, sparking backlash from both the subreddit community and academia.
- University of Zurich defended the study, arguing the insights were too valuable to suppress, although many critics see it as a major ethical breach.
Why should I read this?
This article dives into the controversial intersection of AI ethics and social media. If you’ve ever wondered how AI technologies influence public opinion or what’s at stake when researchers push ethical boundaries for findings, this one’s for you! It’s a classic “What were they thinking?” moment that could shape future AI research policies.