A team of researchers conducted a secretive and «unauthorized» experiment on Reddit, using AI-generated comments to assess the effectiveness of large language models. The experiment, uncovered by moderators of r/changemyview, was deemed by Reddit moderators as a form of «psychological manipulation» targeting unsuspecting users.
The moderators of r/changemyview posted a detailed message informing the community about the unauthorized research conducted by researchers from the University of Zurich. The experiment involved the use of AI-generated comments to explore the potential of AI in changing viewpoints.
The researchers utilized Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate comments in response to posts on r/changemyview, a subreddit where users share contentious opinions and engage in debates. The AI assumed various personas during the experiment, such as a sexual assault survivor, a trauma counselor specializing in abuse, and a Black man against the Black Lives Matter movement. While some of the original comments have been deleted, an archive by 404 Media retains some of them.
In their draft paper, the researchers explained that they not only used AI to produce responses but also endeavored to tailor the replies based on details gleaned from the original poster’s Reddit history. The researchers violated multiple subreddit regulations, including failing to disclose the use of AI-generated comments and contravening the prohibition on bots. The moderators filed a formal complaint with the University of Zurich and requested that the researchers refrain from publishing their findings.
Reddit is contemplating legal action in response to the incident. Chief Legal Officer Ben Lee condemned the researchers’ actions as morally and legally reprehensible, breaching Reddit’s site-wide rules. Accounts linked to the University of Zurich research project have been banned, and efforts to detect and remove AI-generated content associated with the study are ongoing.
The University of Zurich researchers, in response to the backlash, asserted that their research had been ethically approved and could aid online platforms in safeguarding users against nefarious AI applications. They acknowledged the moderators’ concerns about the experiment’s intrusive nature but defended the study’s potential benefits outweighing the risks.
The r/changemyview moderators argued that the research was unnecessary and unoriginal, pointing out that OpenAI researchers had conducted similar studies without experimenting on unwitting participants. They emphasized the importance of maintaining a community space free from unwanted experimentation.
Reddit’s Chief Legal Officer announced plans to contact the University of Zurich and the research team with formal legal demands, aiming to hold the researchers accountable for their actions. The article was updated to include details from the statement by Reddit’s Chief Legal Officer.
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