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AI researchers ran a secret experiment on Reddit users (2025)

A group of researchers from the University of Zurich deployed AI chatbots on Reddit's r/changemyview subreddit to secretly test their ability to influence public opinion. The bots left over 1,700 comments under various false identities, and were found to be 3-6 times more persuasive than humans. Reddit's chief legal officer announced legal action against the university, and the researchers agreed not to publish the study.

SourceHacker News AIAuthor: rolph
AI researchers ran a secret experiment on Reddit users (2025)
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Key points

  • University of Zurich researchers secretly used AI chatbots on Reddit's r/changemyview to test persuasion.
  • The bots adopted deceptive personas and left over 1,700 comments, achieving 3-6x more persuasion than humans.
  • Reddit is taking legal action against the university; researchers will not publish the study.
  • The experiment highlights AI's ability to infiltrate online discourse and raises ethical concerns.

Highlights and analysis are generated automatically and may contain errors. Check the original source.

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