University of Zurich Used AI Bots on Reddit for Persuasion Experiment

Researchers from the University of Zurich conducted an experiment on Reddit's r/changemyview, using AI-generated comments. The AI bots aimed to test the persuasiveness of large language models on unsuspecting users. The experiment, which lasted for months, was described by Reddit moderators as "psychological manipulation." The researchers used LLMs to create comments, personalizing replies based on the original poster's Reddit history. This included inferred attributes like gender, age, ethnicity, location, and political orientation. The AI took on various identities, including a sexual assault survivor and a trauma counselor. r/changemyview moderators filed a complaint with the University of Zurich, citing violations of subreddit rules. They argued the research was unnecessary and an intrusion, as OpenAI had conducted similar experiments without manipulating users. Reddit has suspended the accounts involved in the AI-generated comments.