AIBU to think some trending threads might be AI generated?

[Taytoface]

Just looking at trending now. I am thinking at least three of the threads are potentially AI generated.

All of them are mumsnetty type topics, involving housing, education, parenting. All of them have lots of quite intricate details. High engagement from the OP with other posters. Can't figure.out the advanced search function too well, but seems like user names are relatively new.

Any other tips to spot the slop? It's one thing to waste time with a troll, it's a whole other kettle of fish wasting time on robot generated slop.

Do you mean that the OP has used AI to write the post or that AI has studied mumsnet and set up an account with no human involvement?

I agree, and I think it will eventually kill engagement on platforms like this. They will get harder to spot too, as the AI models improve. I keep coming back to the idea that real life engagement will come to matter more to people again.

Are you saying AI bots have taken over Mumsnet or people are using AI to help write their posts?

Ironically, it reads like your post was written by a primitive AI bot.

One thing I've noticed is threads that point towards a UK poster, writing about a UK situation, but throwing in the word 'gotten' as though that's typical of British English (it isn't).

I took it to mean that a real human used AI to write the post.

The other nuance is that the situation could be real, but the user has used AI to change details so it isn’t identifiable by someone who knows them, or polish their English. I think that’s acceptable.

But inventing scenarios to see how users react without informed consent is not ok.

There are tons of people in the UK who use Americanisms because of the amount of time they've spent online reading US forums. See also, the sheer amount of people who call their driving licence a "driver's license" or call their swimming teacher a "swim teacher" or "swim coach". It's annoying but not necessarily a hallmark of AI.

I think it’s suspicious - I have noticed the same from supposedly UK posters promoting a far right, anti abortion, Christian perspective. Even the manner in which they are practising Christianity comes across as US style.

Yes, I’m on one now!

Apparently this happens on reddit a lot - AI created posts to promote engagement. And it's used to farm the replies to teach AI how to write more naturally.
How to spot? I don't know but when the paragraphs are a bit too neat and even, I tend to start suspecting.

If it is referring to humans using AI to write posts my comment would be, have you just found the Internet?

Id be very surprised if anyone needed to ask if they were being unreasonable to think a thing that everyone knows is a thing

I'm interested to find out more about AI with no human intervention

It is actually. It’s regional.

I wouldn't have a clue what was AI generated and what wasn't 🤔

Humans using AI to write a little tale on here is what I thought they were

Sorry could have worded OP better. I think these threads have been generated by trolls using AI. They are plausible scenarios initially, but then get to a place that just tip over into unbelievable.

There will also be bits set up by special interest groups to engage on forums like this.

I also think posters are using AI to help write posts, which makes the bots barder to spot.

It all makes me want to engage less and less

Oh I agree it's suspicious (and annoying) but I just don't know that it's necessarily AI.

The ones that are irritating me are the "I'm really young and it's clearly my first day on planet Earth and I didn't grow up with parents/grew up in care and WIBU to wear matching shoes/say hello to my MIL/cook and eat lunch at lunchtime/I did this obvious thing that you just don't do and anyone who has lived on this Earth for 5 minutes would know you don't do" and posters are either falling over themselves to placate the person or castigate them depending on the mood. They're just so tedious and I resent wasting time reading them.

I know that's a possibility, but I'm pointing towards unexpected and unusual usage.

What is the point of groups doing this?

Can you give some examples of threads where you think this may be the case?

I assume MNs do it to increase engagement

Absolutely. And I know at least one of the ones you're talking about.

Ideally, they'd just be bots. Because if someone is actually guiding AI to create and keep these threads going, it's very sad that they have so little else in their life that they do this. Pathetic really.

My life gets pretty boring at times but I'd think I'd hit rock bottom if I was inventing fake threads on social media and not even writing them myself (that at least would be creative writing!).

I think it happens a lot.
And then when a poster holds them to account on something that doesn't add up they use the "I'm ND so..." excuse to explain it away.

I have seen lots of anti immigrant sentiment being seeded on this forum and others.

Reform have the biggest election war chest ever collected.£100m. They will totally be spending money on spreading content on sites like this.

MN has long been viewed as an important platform for politicians, and has always leaned left. Imagine what a coup it would be for reform to shift the dial on here. They will be spending money on this.

Tell mnhq instead. They respond on this, there’s a site stuff thread now.

There are lots of paid trolls on Christian nationalist think tanks' pay rolls. Those guys have an obcene amount of money and influence. The UK is a key part of their European strategy and so they are being absolutely relentless at the moment. All of that Christian kingdom stuff is imported ideology. FFS we kicked them out 400 years ago and here they try to come back like a bad smell.

Can't believe I'm even typing this but as much as I completely believe Reform would be a disaster for the country and is sailing very close to the wind in terms of respect for democracy, I am utterly freaked out when I think of fucking Restore. That's like the depths of hell being unleashed on us - Third Reich and Gilead wrapped up in one fetid package.

Op look at the site stuff thread on this. Mnhq respond to it, you’re not correct.