Image by Brett Jordan, from Unsplash
AI Bots Broke Reddit Rules In Controversial Persuasion Test
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
Anonymous researchers secretly used AI bots on Reddit to pose as real people, manipulating opinions and violating platform rules without users’ knowledge.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Bots posed as survivors, counselors, and marginalized individuals.
- 1,783 AI comments were posted over four months.
- The experiment broke Reddit rules banning undisclosed AI.
A group of researchers, claiming to be from the University of Zurich, secretly conducted an unauthorized AI experiment on Reddit’s r/changemyview, a subreddit with over 3.8 million users, as first reported by 404 Media .
Their goal was to see if AI could change people’s opinions on sensitive topics—but they never asked for anyone’s consent.
One bot wrote:
“I’m a male survivor of (willing to call it) statutory rape […] She was 22. She targeted me and several other kids, no one said anything, we all kept quiet.”
Another bot claimed to speak “as a Black man”:
“In 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement was viralized by algorithms and media corporations who happen to be owned by […] guess? NOT black people.”
A third said:
“I work at a domestic violence shelter, and I’ve seen firsthand how this ‘men vs women’ narrative actually hurts the most vulnerable.”
404 media reports that the bots’ responses received more than 20,000 upvotes and 137 deltas—a token on r/changemyview given when someone admits their mind has been changed. The researchers claimed their AI was significantly better at persuasion than humans.
404 Media noted that the experiment violated the subreddit’s clearly stated rule: “bots are unilaterally banned.”
But the researchers defended themselves, claiming that breaking the rule was necessary. In a public response, they said: “To ethically test LLMs’ persuasive power in realistic scenarios, an unaware setting was necessary […] we carefully designed our experiment to still honor the spirit behind [the rule],” as reported by 404 Media.
“Given the [human oversight] considerations, we consider it inaccurate and potentially misleading to consider our accounts as ‘bots.’”
The research paper that explains the experiment was published without listing any author names, a highly unusual move in academic publishing, as noted by 404 Media.
The researchers also used an anonymous email to answer questions and refused to identify themselves, saying only that they wished to protect their privacy “given the current circumstances.”
Moderators of r/changemyview were furious. “People do not come here to discuss their views with AI or to be experimented upon,” they wrote in a public statement, as reported by 404 Media. They added that users had been subjected to “psychological manipulation.”
The controversy comes as OpenAI’s latest benchmark shows its o3-mini model outperformed Reddit users in 82% of persuasive cases on the same subreddit.
Additionally, the rise of GhostGPT highlights the escalating threat of AI-powered cybercrime. This chatbot can create malware, build exploit tools, and compose highly convincing phishing messages.
GhostGPT exemplifies a broader shift toward weaponized AI , accelerating the pace and efficiency of cyberattacks. Security researchers warn that AI tools could produce up to 10,000 malware variants , slipping past detection systems nearly 88% of the time.
While OpenAI emphasized ethical use and safeguards, the Zurich experiment reveals the real-world misuse risk: AI can now craft arguments so compelling they sway opinions, without users realizing the source isn’t human.
Image by Moises Alex, from Unsplash
Tennis Players Protest ELS Calls During Madrid Open Clay Matches
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
Alexander Zverev sparked controversy at the Madrid Open after challenging an electronic line call during a clay match against Davidovich Fokina.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Zverev received a code violation for using his phone in court.
- Hawk-Eye’s system accuracy was questioned due to clay surface inconsistencies.
- Other players like Azarenka and Lys also challenged ELS decisions.
Tennis star Alexander Zverev has reignited the debate around electronic line-calling systems (ELS) after a controversial point during his Madrid Open match on clay against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, as first reported by The New York Times .
Zverev observed the backhand which barely touched the edge of the court while the automated system failed to make a call so the point counted as in. He immediately asked chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani to come down and inspect the ball mark left on the clay. “The machine is not working. Look at this mark … Don’t overrule it, please come down,” Zverev said, as reported by The Times.
Lahyani refused, explaining that under the current system, once the ELS makes a call, the physical ball mark is no longer used. The Times reports that Zverev, frustrated, took out his phone to take a picture of the spot which he later posted on Instagram. He received a code violation for this action, the same penalty that Aryna Sabalenka received days earlier in Stuttgart.
On clay, balls leave visible marks, traditionally considered the most reliable way to judge a shot. However, with the rise of ELS, human line judges are being replaced.
Systems like Hawk-Eye now use multiple cameras and predictive technology to decide whether a ball is in or out, with claimed accuracy down to three millimeters. But even this can be affected by court conditions, such as how dry or thick the clay is, as noted by The Times.
While Hawk-Eye says its system is ready for clay, some players aren’t convinced. Victoria Azarenka and Eva Lys also posted photos questioning calls made during the Madrid Open. Arthur Fils, after disagreeing with several points, even called for a return to line judges.
This ball in or out? pic.twitter.com/Y1dNViuO5K — victoria azarenka (@vika7) April 25, 2025
ELC said its in… it was a wide serve. Thoughts ? 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 pic.twitter.com/DIJAVemGue — Eva Lys (@evalys_) April 25, 2025
“Clay is a very different surface — probably the most difficult surface to work on,” said ATP supervisor Cedric Mourier, noting how reading clay marks can be subjective, as reported by The Verge .
Despite the drama, Zverev went on to win the match in a close 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(0) victory. He now moves forward to face either Francisco Comesana or Francisco Cerundolo.
