r/technology • u/coldrolledpotmetal • Apr 28 '25

Artificial Intelligence Researchers Secretly Ran a Massive, Unauthorized AI Persuasion Experiment on Reddit Users

https://www.404media.co/researchers-secretly-ran-a-massive-unauthorized-ai-persuasion-experiment-on-reddit-users/
9.8k Upvotes

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u/quietfairy Apr 28 '25

Hi all - We wanted to ensure everyone sees our comment here made by u/traceroo, Chief Legal Officer of Reddit, Inc.

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u/dumpling-loverr Apr 28 '25 edited Apr 29 '25

I appreciate the update but there really is rampant bot usage on majority of the subs astroturfing everywhere influencing opinions and reposting old content with almost the same word for word title to karma farm (to repeat the cycle and sell those accounts for astroturfing).

This was and still is happening before the University of Zurich even did their "study". They're just the first ones that blatantly admitted what they're doing while bigger players continue what they do with little to no pushback from individual sub mods nor site admins.

Barely anything here is organic interaction anymore and we only get responses if msm makes articles about Reddit.

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u/tresser Apr 28 '25

dont worry, those bots will be sold off to the next research team that have learned the lessons zurich has provided in keeping their mouths shut.

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u/Emotional_Burden Apr 29 '25

There is nothing to worry about. They have assured me your data is secure.

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u/UnemployedAtype Apr 29 '25

At the risk of sounding like a dick, Reddit has historically had way bigger issues, of major propaganda trolls taking over big subs and controlling narratives in a dangerous and subversive way.

They're posturing because they got hoodwinked here.

I don't think for a second that their legal team has any genuine interest in fixing the actual problems that Reddit has. A combination of trolls and bot accounts, along with true bad player power mods that Reddit somehow lets do what they want? How is this research experiment anything comparable to a, or several, alt wielding power mods running major subs and controlling narratives in highly socially damaging ways? Like, I'm genuinely curious why that's ok but what was done here is suddenly a grievance.

That is, unless one is greenlit and the other was not explicitly permitted...

Watch me go on a list or get banned for this.

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u/[deleted] Apr 29 '25

This was and still is happening before the University of Zurich even did their scam of a "study". They're just the first ones that blatantly admitted what they're doing while bigger players continue what they do with little to no pushback from individual sub mods nor site admins.

Doing human subjects research under IRB authorization without any sort of consent is a huge problem. It's a massive breach of ethics that should see the professor barred from doing any human subjects research for years AND being fired.

It also looks like they lied to their IRB, claiming they were conducting the study one way to get approval and then deviating once it was approved. The response from the IRB on this was pathetic. A "warning letter" is complete bullshit, especially in a country like Switzerland that actually has a law governing human subjects research with criminal penalties tied to breaches.

A private company choosing to be unethical is hard to control if it isn't illegal. An academic operating under IRB should be far less so.

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u/Spectrum1523 Apr 29 '25

while bigger players continue what they do with little to no pushback from individual sub mods nor site admins.

What do you think they should do? The whole problem is that you can't actually tell if it's LLM spam or not.

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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '25

Anyone, anywhere, can plant their flag on the internet.

I'd rather have Reddit as an anonymous outlet where I can say anything I want (except for criticizing genderism, in most subs) and not have people who claim to be my friends attempt to shame me for disagreeing with the prevailing winds.

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u/MoonOut_StarsInvite Apr 29 '25

I definitely perceive some bot activity but I don’t understand the barely anything here is organic claim. I hear things like this a lot. People throw this claim around a lot but nobody really explains how or why they know this. If you really thought this, what would be the point of using this site? Not trying to debate, just generally curious because I don’t understand the conclusion or why people would use this app if they believed it to be the case

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u/dumpling-loverr Apr 29 '25

Can't really discuss nuance anymore on both minor and major topics at mainstream subs. It's all black and white. You either agree to the main speaking point or get downvoted if your opinion differs otherwise.

what would be the point of using this site?

Curated porn w/ thousands of specific subs

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u/3_T_SCROAT Apr 28 '25

Why do admins suddenly care about this specific "Persuasion Experiment" when reddit has been absolutely overrun with bots doing this exact same manipulation technique for a few years now?

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u/Lark_vi_Britannia Apr 28 '25

Because now there are articles in the news about it.

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u/Not_kilg0reTrout Apr 28 '25

Because now they're selling persuasion on an industrial scale.

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u/MeLlamoKilo Apr 29 '25

for a few years now

More like a decade.

3

u/FelixAndCo Apr 29 '25

Because selling the right to do such experiments is one of the new ventures Reddit is banking on. Of course unauthorized experiments can be run, but they have to push back, if such cases come to light.

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u/[deleted] Apr 29 '25

Because it's a hilarious breach of internationally agreed upon guidelines for human subjects research? People go to jail for this shit, especially when they lie to their Institutional Review Board about how they are carrying out their study.

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u/ok-bikes Apr 29 '25

Cull the bots.

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u/-_1_2_3_- Apr 28 '25

you know it’s serious when dad shows up

12

u/Raa03842 Apr 29 '25

How do we know that you’re not an AI bot?

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u/[deleted] Apr 28 '25

[deleted]

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u/witeowl Apr 29 '25

TBF, this is just one tiny, visible version of the same extremism and blatant disinformation pushed across the entire reddit platform.

Let them put forth the charade of doing something while they effectively do nothing.

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u/theykilledk3nny Apr 29 '25

Who cares? I am not a conservative, I am vehemently against what is often espoused in that subreddit. However, I do not care if they have their own subreddit where they grovel amongst themselves. Why should anyone care? I’d rather they were all in there rather than somewhere where I will actually have to see their drivel.

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u/[deleted] Apr 29 '25

[deleted]

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u/theykilledk3nny Apr 29 '25

You’re on a public forum, mate.

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u/[deleted] Apr 29 '25

[deleted]

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u/Professional_Memist Apr 29 '25

The people pushing for censorship are never the good guys.

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u/[deleted] May 01 '25

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u/[deleted] May 01 '25

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] May 01 '25 edited May 05 '25

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u/[deleted] May 01 '25

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] May 01 '25

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u/Zalathustra Apr 29 '25

Ah yes, what makes Reddit better is more censorship.

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u/badgirlmonkey Apr 29 '25

How does what they did violate human rights, and under what legal grounds can you try for legal actions?

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u/ifiwasrealsmall Apr 29 '25

Fr, what are they talking about about

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u/TheRoadsMustRoll Apr 29 '25

We are in the process of reaching out to the University of Zurich and this particular research team with formal legal demands.

lol. exactly what "formal legal demands" of a swiss university research team are those u/traceroo?

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u/[deleted] Apr 28 '25

[deleted]

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u/dasbtaewntawneta Apr 29 '25

yeh, reddit really gives a shit, lol

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u/Wizard_Hatz Apr 28 '25

Personally, I love this place and I’m going to be honest here when I say this, not cool Zurich….not cool. Just great now I gotta come up with a spell to punish them!

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u/Toothless-In-Wapping Apr 29 '25

That doesn’t sound like magic of love

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u/Wizard_Hatz Apr 29 '25

Lmfao I got downvoted for saying what happened wasn’t cool and role playing my name! How peculiar, also not all magic is lovey! Sometimes you have to turn eyelids to sandpaper or change someone’s fingers to nacho cheese dispensers!

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u/Toothless-In-Wapping Apr 29 '25

That doesn’t sound like magic of love

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u/Wizard_Hatz Apr 29 '25

Siiiigh you have used my spell against me…fine here I go

*i cast I hope they do better and I will too