The post Reddit Cracks Down After AI Bots Secretly Infiltrated Debate Forum appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

In brief Reddit is fast-tracking new user verification measures to ensure participants are human while still maintaining anonymity. Third-party verification services will be used to confirm humans without compromising users’ personal information. The move comes after a group of researchers used AI bots to change opinions on a subreddit dedicated to healthy debates. Behind the scenes in one of Reddit’s largest communities, something creepy has been brewing. For four months, AI-powered bots masqueraded as humans, swaying opinions and earning thousands of upvotes. The experiment appeared to be working—until everyone found out. Reddit announced plans earlier this week to tighten user verification after learning that researchers from the University of Zurich conducted an unauthorized experiment on the r/changemyview subreddit, using AI bots to manipulate users without their knowledge or consent. The researchers had deployed the bots, which used sensitive personas—including trauma counselors, sexual assault survivors, and controversial political identities—from late 2024 to early 2025, and posted over 1,700 comments. The AI entities also analyzed users’ posting histories to craft persuasive, personalized responses—all without disclosing that they were AI agents. In a post to the community, Reddit’s Chief Legal Officer Ben Lee condemned the experiment as “deeply wrong on both a moral and legal level,” citing violations of the platform’s user agreement and research ethics. The company has banned all accounts linked to the research and filed formal complaints with the University of Zurich. Keeping Reddit human means sharing more info “Reddit works because it’s human,” CEO Steve Huffman wrote in a recent platform update. “It’s one of the few places online where real people share real opinions… If we lose trust in that, we lose what makes Reddit… Reddit.” The experiment hit at the heart of what makes online communities function: trust. Moderators described it as “psychological manipulation,” noting that users…

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Filed under: News - @ May 9, 2025 8:24 am