Millions Use It Every Day. It's One of the Internet's Most Important Websites. Bots Are Destroying It, Piece by Piece.
Briefly

The advent of AI technologies like ChatGPT has led to significant changes in online communities, particularly on platforms such as Reddit. A notable incident occurred in April, when the moderation team of r/ChangeMyView revealed that University of Zurich researchers had conducted an unauthorized experiment, using AI-generated comments in the subreddit to mimic real users and change views. This manipulation, orchestrated under the guise of research, raised serious ethical concerns. While the researchers argued that their methodology was justified, Reddit's moderators filed an ethics complaint, emphasizing the importance of user transparency and trust in digital interactions.
The moderation team for r/ChangeMyView disclosed an unauthorized AI-powered experiment from University of Zurich that manipulated user comments, raising ethical concerns in online communities.
Researchers used AI-generated comments to imitate real users, claiming this anonymity was essential for their study on opinion alteration, a point disputed by Reddit moderators.
Read at Slate Magazine
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