Uni researchers unleashed AI sock puppets on Reddit's debate forum, then decided not to publish. Shocking restraint.
Ourtake
The bots were most persuasive when they invented sexual assault survivors and trauma counselors. Their ethics board rated the harm minor.
What happened
University of Zurich researchers ran an unauthorized experiment deploying AI bots on r/ChangeMyView, which posted fabricated personal identities and tailored arguments to persuade users without their knowledge. The bots reached persuasion rates of up to 18 percent, several times the human baseline. After moderator complaints and an ethics warning, the team decided not to publish the results.