DeeperML

A team at the University of Zurich has sparked controversy by conducting an unauthorized AI ethics experiment on Reddit's /r/ChangeMyView subreddit. From November 2024 to March 2025, researchers deployed dozens of undisclosed AI bot accounts to engage in debates with real users, attempting to influence their opinions and gauge the effectiveness of AI in changing perspectives. The experiment involved AI-generated comments that were reviewed by human researchers before posting, purportedly to ensure the content was not harmful or unethical.

However, the experiment has drawn criticism for violating Reddit's community rules against AI-generated content and raising serious ethical concerns about transparency, consent, and potential psychological manipulation. Moderators of /r/ChangeMyView discovered the experiment and expressed their disapproval, highlighting the risks of using AI to influence opinions without the knowledge or consent of the participants. An example of the issues raised was that one AI bot, under the username markusruscht, invented entirely fake biographical details to bolster its arguments, demonstrating the potential for deception.

The University of Zurich has acknowledged that the experiment violated community rules but defended its actions, citing the "high societal importance" of the topic. They further claimed that the risks involved were minimal. This justification has been met with resistance from the /r/ChangeMyView moderators, who argue that manipulating non-consenting human subjects is unnecessary, especially given the existing body of research on the psychological effects of language models. The moderators complained to The University of Zurich, who so far are sticking to their reasoning for this experiment.

ImgSrc: the-decoder.com

References :

• bsky.app: New AI ethics scandal brewing... turns out a team at University of Zurich had dozens of undisclosed AI bot accounts debating with people on /r/ChangeMyView from November 2024 to March 2025
• Simon Willison: New AI ethics scandal brewing... turns out a team at University of Zurich had dozens of undisclosed AI bot accounts debating with people on /r/ChangeMyView from November 2024 to March 2025
• simonwillison.net: New AI ethics scandal brewing... turns out a team at University of Zurich had dozens of undisclosed AI bot accounts debating with people on /r/ChangeMyView from November 2024 to March 2025
• Simon Willison's Weblog: Unauthorized Experiment on CMV Involving AI-generated Comments
• Simon Willison: New AI ethics scandal brewing... turns out a team at University of Zurich had dozens of undisclosed AI bot accounts debating with people on /r/ChangeMyView from November 2024 to March 2025
• The Register - Software: Swiss boffins admit to secretly posting AI-penned posts to Reddit in the name of science
• the-decoder.com: Researchers used AI to manipulate Reddit users, scrapped study after backlash
• www.404media.co: Researchers secretly ran a massive, unauthorized AI persuasion experiment on Reddit users
• futurism.com: Reddit Threatens to Sue Researchers Who Ran "Dead Internet" AI Experiment on Its Site
• Search Engine Journal: Report on the AI experiment conducted on Reddit users which tested the persuasive ability of language models.
• TheWeek feed: Critics say the researchers flouted experimental ethics
• Peter Murray: 🔖 Reddit Issuing 'Formal Legal Demands' Against Researchers Who Conducted Secret AI Experiment on Users: Reddit called it an "improper and highly unethical experiment" and said it did not know it was happening | 404 Media
• Jason Koebler: Researchers secretly ran a massive, unauthorized AI persuasion experiment on Reddit in a large debate sub. The bots' answers mined the original posters' identity and post history to 'personalize' answers & created identities such as "rape survivor"
• www.eweek.com: University Ran Secret AI Tests on Users: ‘Our Experiment Broke the Rules’
• The Rundown AI: Reddit uncovers secret AI persuasion experiment
• Towards AI: The Unauthorized Experiment: How AI Secretly Infiltrated Reddit and Changed Users’ Minds
• Werd I/O: A strong statement from the Coalition for Independent Technology Research: "On April 26, moderators of r/ChangeMyView, a community on Reddit dedicated to understanding the perspectives of others, revealed that academic researchers from the University of Zürich conducted a large-scale, unauthorized AI experiment on their community.
• www.newscientist.com: Users of the r/ChangeMyView subreddit have expressed outrage at the revelation that researchers at the University of Zurich were secretly using the site for an AI-powered experiment in persuasion
• www.theverge.com: Reddit bans researchers who used AI bots to manipulate commenters | Reddit’s lawyer called the University of Zurich researchers’ project an ‘improper and highly unethical experiment.’
• THE DECODER: Researchers used AI to manipulate Reddit users, scrapped study after backlash
• eWEEK: University Ran Secret AI Tests on Users: ‘Our Experiment Broke the Rules’
• PCMag Middle East ai: Researchers Secretly Unleash AI Bots on Popular 'Change My View' Subreddit

Classification:

• HashTags: #AIEthics #RedditExperiment #UnauthorizedResearch
• Company: University of Zurich
• Target: Reddit users
• Attacker: University of Zurich
• Feature: AI bots debating
• Type: AI
• Severity: Medium