Redditors Unwitting Players in Startling AI Psychological Study

A group of researchers from the University of Zurich conducted a covert AI experiment within Reddit’s r/changemyview community, which has 3.8 million members, without obtaining user consent.

The researchers engaged in a months-long study, utilizing AI-generated comments to influence users unaware of the experiment or their participation.

This investigation occurred on r/changemyview, a subreddit celebrated for civil discourse. By employing large language models (LLMs), researchers crafted targeted and persuasive responses that mimicked real users, aiming to assess whether AI could alter individuals’ opinions.

Experiment Overview

• AI-generated comments were posted under the pretense of being genuine users to influence opinions.
• The personas included trauma survivors and polarizing political figures.
• The AI leveraged personal data extracted from user histories to create tailored, persuasive messages.
• None of this activity was disclosed, breaching subreddit and Reddit platform rules.

This scenario transcended mere automated responses.

It involved psychological manipulation exploiting personal data to evaluate AI’s effectiveness in changing opinions.

Reddit’s Chief Legal Officer, Ben Lee, condemned the experiment as “deeply wrong on both a moral and legal level” and announced that Reddit is considering formal legal action.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Justification from Researchers

The researchers assert that their ethics board approved the project, claiming their intent was to illustrate the potential of AI to be misused in influencing elections or propagating hate.

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