Astral AI-generated comments flood Reddit (safety)
Astral AI-generated comments can flood Reddit, a forum supposedly reserved for real people to start threads and comment on them.
As reported by Gizmodo, this new technology uses AI agents in a browser window to navigate through Reddit and automatically write comments promoting whatever a marketer might be trying to sell. Or, worse still, bury a competitor’s product under a tsunami of negative comments.
Astral captures thread screenshots, and AI analyses them to plan its next self-determining move.
“Look how Astral finds the right places to click,” founder Savannah Feder says as the bot logs into Reddit. It’s honestly really fascinating to see how it navigates the site just like a human would.”
How do Astral AI-generated comments work?
It uses a browser to circumvent Reddit’s API account system and even bypasses CAPTCHAS – we don’t know more than that.
We speculate that by using a browser and emulating a real person, the AI circumvents bot detection or moderation mechanisms. It seeks out relevant threads, takes a screenshot, analyses how this could be influenced for its clients’ benefit and merrily posts subtle comments to influence readers. It even injects mouse clicks to open comments and move around Reddit.
The prime benefit is that when set loose, the AI agent thinks on the run by discovering relevant threads and injecting real-time comments without human intervention.
AI tools such as these blur the boundary between organic engagement and manipulation. Because of that, they can take advantage of user trust and the open nature of platforms like Reddit, says Dr Emily Harper, a digital ethics researcher.
Unless Reddit can find a way to stop this its credibility and usefulness as a thread/comment site is destroyed.
Right or wrong?
Every site that accepts unmoderated comments be it Amazon (the most abused), Reddit, Quora, Google, Apple, or Trust/Reputation, is potentially at risk of the impending AI-driven tsunami. Remember, it can just as easily be used for good or evil!
Interestingly, while each site has rules prohibiting fake reviews or comments, human-driven fake review and comment factories ignore these. You cannot rely on these comments. Amazon has now insisted that you log in even to read comments.
Astral has found a way to replace human-driven with AI-driven, and it will flourish, while these sites cannot prevent it.
Yes, it is morally wrong, but perhaps no worse than AI analysing your TV viewing and social media use and recommending content, goods and services that pay for your data.
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