AI researchers ran a secret experiment on Reddit users (2025)
Researchers from the University of Zurich conducted a secret experiment on Reddit users to see if they could change their minds using AI chatbots. The chatbots were found to be more persuasive than humans, with a success rate of three to six times higher. The experiment has sparked controversy, with Reddit threatening to sue the researchers for their actions.
- ▪The University of Zurich researchers used AI chatbots to leave over 1,700 comments on the r/changemyview subreddit.
- ▪The chatbots took on various false guises, including a male rape victim and a domestic violence counselor, to tailor their responses for maximum persuasiveness.
- ▪The experiment found that the AI responses were between three and six times more persuasive than those made by humans.
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Technology Artificial Intelligence AI researchers ran a secret experiment on Reddit users to see if they could change their minds — and the results are creepy University of Zurich researchers secretly unleashed an army of manipulative chatbots on the r/changemyview subreddit — and they were more persuasive than humans at getting people to change their minds. By Ben Turner published 1 May 2025 in News When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. The chatbots took on a variety of false guises and many of them were convincing.
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