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Unauthorized AI Experiment on Reddit's r/ChangeMyView Sparks Ethical Concerns

Unauthorized AI Experiment on Reddit's r/ChangeMyView Sparks Ethical Concerns

April 29, 2025
AI Reddit r/ChangeMyView Ethics Social Media Public Opinion Controversy
An unauthorized experiment using AI-powered bots to influence opinions on Reddit's r/ChangeMyView has raised significant ethical concerns and reignited debates about AI's role in social media.

Unauthorized AI Experiment on Reddit's r/ChangeMyView Sparks Ethical Concerns

How the University of Zurich's review board signed off on ...

An unauthorized experiment involving AI-generated comments on Reddit's r/ChangeMyView (CMV) has sparked significant controversy. The study, which aimed to test the effectiveness of AI in influencing human opinions, involved deploying AI-powered bots to post comments in the subreddit. These bots were designed to mimic human behavior and engage in discussions to change users' views on various topics.

The experiment raised ethical concerns, as it was conducted without the knowledge or consent of the subreddit's moderators or its community members. Critics argue that such practices undermine the authenticity of online discussions and could lead to manipulation of public opinion. The incident has also reignited debates about the responsible use of AI in social media platforms and the need for stricter regulations to prevent misuse.

For more details, you can refer to the following sources:

Sources

Unauthorized Experiment on CMV Involving AI-generated Comments We recognize that our experiment broke the community rules against AI-generated comments and apologize. We believe, however, that given the high ...
Unauthorized experiment on r/changemyview involving AI ... Wow this is grotesquely unethical. Here's one of the first AI-generated comments I clicked on: https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/ ...
AI-Powered Bots Secretly Invade Reddit's r/ChangeMyView in ... Reddit's r/ChangeMyView hit by AI bot scandal as University of Zurich researchers ran secret mind-changing experiment without user consent.