Recent posts on texting / ghosting - are they real?

[Anotheranonymousnameismine]

I don’t know if I’ve watched too much black mirror… but I’ve seen about 5 posts in the last few says on texting (hot/cold, long gaps etc), or ghosting - that are so similar and all read in a slightly detached way.

Sometimes they want to know if it’s happened to you - sometimes it happening to them but it’s all very high level manner, kind of like a Google search.

The user is always curious, and finds the perspectives interesting. The initial post is always a similar length and style. The friendship was often ‘close’ until this - though not much detail on this.

has anyone else noticed this? My mind jumped to it being an online AI agony aunt programme gathering data for its service!!!!

unless these issues are suddenly even more in the ether and people don’t read recent posts….

There seem to be a lot of user names in the pattern of adjective/colour/animal too.

My fatbluespider senses smell a smallredrat.

🤣🤣🤣

I've not noticed the ghosting threads but I did see another thread making a similar observation to yours so you may be onto something

Probably some shitty Daily Mail writer desperately trying to get some content for an article

This happened a few months ago as well where there was about 10 threads about “zombie threads” going at once

Hahaha. Aah so true….. Thinking I’ve seen trueblueboar on the go recently too

Last nights one was sassydeer (the algorithm is evolving) asking about ghosting on AIBU. With 90 replies :(

The only reply OP has done is the most AI thing I’ve heard.
‘Curiosity doesn’t mean lack of understanding - sometimes it’s just about wanting to hear different perspectives. It’s interesting to see the various reasons people have for handling things the way they do.’

It really disconcerts me somehow - like a parasite!

presuming it’s def not a real person who’s just very….clinical.

Those are the names that MN auto generate and suggest to new users, I think!

Oh yeah - I hadn’t thought of that. Equally disappointing…. Not quite as disconcerting to me as an online agony aunt chat function training itself so I kind of hope it’s that!

Then there’s an awful lot of new users with exactly the same writing style on texting and ghosting.

i think the reason it jumped out to me is that it’s such an emotive and sensitive topic when it happens to you that the OPs normally end up sharing more detail and revealing their own vulnerabilities….. rather than sounding like a robot.

I noticed alot of threads but I thought it showed a bit of reality. Friendships seem to be on the back burner for many these days.

I thought MN gives everyone user and then numbers as a suggestion.. like user12345678

‘Curiosity doesn’t mean lack of understanding - sometimes it’s just about wanting to hear different perspectives. It’s interesting to see the various reasons people have for handling things the way they do.’

This is so creepy! Definitely a bot

Suggesting it's a DM journo is a lazy trope, there are so many weird and wonderful genuine threads they pick up that imo it's extremely unlikely they start banal ones on subjects that anyone can answer from their own imagination

I was going to ask on site section whether MNHQ have authorised the use of ai on the site. I wonder if academic or other organisations have approached MNHQ to train LLMs. would we be expected to be told or assured that there are no AI generated posts here?

There seem to be a lot more bot-style adverts recently too.

And not a TAAT but know the thread you mean. I thought AI rather than rubbish journo

You’re ridiculous 🙄

There's another one now, about reconnecting with a friend who has been absent.

I'm absolutely sure its AI written 🙄

I created a post in site stuff to ask but it has zero replies.

A lot of article/tiktok fodder farming going on

Ooh I’ll have a look. I’ve never been to that section

With apologies if your post was genuine but as you’ll see from my next post - there’s lots of very similar ones at the moment.

Your post was very vague though - unless you’ve replied further by now.

just collected together some of the ones I’ve seen :)

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5196484-to-feel-hurt-that-my-friend-just-stopped-talking-to-me?page=3&reply=139352884

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5196861-to-feel-unsure-about-a-friend-who-suddenly-returned-after-a-long-absence

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5195088-to-feel-unsettled-by-a-friends-inconsistent-communication?page=2&reply=139297959

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5195818-to-be-unsure-how-to-handle-an-inconsistent-friend

Sorry JayEffSee I was meaning to reply to the person who said they’d set up a thread on this!
I think you’re right about the new thread too tho

That was me @Anotheranonymousnameismine

I've also reported the post and asked for an answer. I strongly suspect there are AI generated posts on here. I want to know if MNHQ will confirm there are, or reassure us that we’re still engaging with humans when we post.

I agree that the ghosting post that Sassydear started reads very awkwardly, in a “hello humans, explain emotions to me” way. Apologies @SassyDeer if you are an actual person posting genuinely

I think all the texting/flakey friend posts are AI too. But I don’t understand what benefit there is to posting threads like that? Is it just to collect the responses to train AI, or could there be any other reason?

Someone more knowledgeable please enlighten me!