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.

It's a 'possibility' that Scottish and Northern Irish people might be posting on a UK-based forum?

Not that other Brits don't use the word too; it was part of standard English long before the USA existed. Moreover, we do actually get genuine living, breathing American humans on MN too - and they're very welcome.

But it’s not unusual.

Even if people are using AI to help write their own posts, you can spot it. You certainly can on FB. I'm sick to death of posts being written in that endless repetitive style. You feel like saying "OH hello ChatGPT". Why use 100 words when 2000 will do?

It's like people have lost trust in their own ability to write. It's making people so lazy and everything you read online has become incredibly generic. Even my business partner - clever, well educated to Masters level, though never particularly confident in composting communications - had fallen into the habit of running an email through chatgpt before he sends it. Until I pointed out that uses the equivalent of a bottle of water and for fuck's sake have some confidence in his own ability.

Definitely. Usually verrry long OP with loads of detail in neat paragraphs - general give away is the OP never returning

But if Restore and Reform end up splitting the vote that might be a good thing with neither of them getting anywhere much.

Duh! I know regionally it's a possibility - but I'm referring to situations where there's no other indication of regionality.

Duh! I know regionally it's a possibility - but I'm referring to situations where there's no other indication of regionality.
And I know its origins too.

No need for the “duh”.

I can see how AI might be an issue and a huge irritation, and I'm certainly not denying that it's regularly used; but I'm very wary of AI-hunting becoming the new troll-hunting. I've been accused of being AI before - with people discussing whether or not my thread was wholly generated by AI or if I'd 'just' used AI to help me formulate my ideas. In truth, English is my native language and I'm reasonably well educated and - surprise, surprise, I had written it myself. If you knew how much I hate AI, you'd realise how infuriating that is - it bordered on bullying, to be honest.

I think, like happens so often on MN, you get some people who cannot believe that other people might have different experiences from them or different writing styles. Because it isn't something that they would write personally, that must mean that nobody would ever write it - thus this is 'proof' that it's 100% AI. Even when it involves use of standard language and grammar - if it's beyond your own level of written English, it simply must be a bot! It's a bit like when little kids simply cannot believe anybody who tells them that they don't have a favourite dinosaur!

Are you suggesting MN are using AI to generate fake threads on the topics they know will generate the most responses in order to create traffic on their website which in turn increases their revenue from advertisements?

Some people don't have the gift of brevity - or maybe don't want to be later accused of drip-feeding! This may also include neurodiverse people, who might have a 'must include everything' writing style that's maybe less common in NT people - but neurodiverse people are obviously still 100% people.

I do agree with you, though, when hours or even days go by and the OP never returns. Sometimes it's because the thread didn't go the way they hoped, meaning that "everybody is wrong and stupid"; but I concede that it may well suggest AI.

I still don't actually get the point of AI starting threads on a forum for humans, though. Is it just for AI to post, and AI to read and respond, and then there's no point in any of us being here at all? What does that achieve? Can AI 'enjoy' using MN? Why does it even need advice on anything if it supposedly already knows it all anyway?!

Yes loads of AI bot posts sadly. Can't prove that they are, but the style and strange word choice suggest that.

Totally off topic but I live in the UK and call my son’s swimming teacher a swim coach as thats what he is. My son has finished swimming lessons but has coaching lessons with him swim team.

I find things like these really interesting as one person thinks they are being clear but another finds it hard to understand, for such a small country we do make language hard for ourselves 😑

This is what I think sometimes. If it's a slow day on here, why wouldn't MN do this?

So are you proposing that posters should start every time with "Scot here!" - just in case their use of universally-used English expressions may 'betray' them to people who assume that all posters must be English by default (or otherwise most probably AI bots)?

If you know of its origins, you will of course be aware of why educated English speakers - from whichever country they originate - will use it, then; so I'm not sure what your issue is. Americans share a great deal of our common language; we didn't get to a point in time where we handed them a random chunk of it for their exclusive use and promised to stop using it ourselves.

Put this on site stuff. If you’re going to make the accusation let them answer it.

That might be the case in Makefield but if you think that will happen nationally, you are kidding yourself.

😂. Don't take it so seriously - I was simply putting it forward as a possible indicator of Ai-generated text, in examples where it doesn't fit neatly with the rest of the text.

You are not wrong. Lots of us have clocked on obvious engagement farming with AI
There are two main types
1- controversial topic, paragraph of general not own experience text, ended by a wuestion underneath
2- 3 short paragraphs, usually just couple sentences each, text and "AIBU?" at the end.

"Gotten" is not an Americanism. It is typically used in Scottish English. Scotland is still part of the UK.

I've answered this a few times already 👆

AI SLOP EVERYWHERE

I think Mumsnet try to be proactive and identify AI posts, but there's going to be ones that slip through the net.

A clue I always use is, is this too well written? Most people are posting in a gap in a busy day, or under emotional stress, and so you'd expect posts and responses to have some spelling or grammar errors, or that the OP might not be clear and clarification might be needed later. If the OP feels highly structured, with a beginning middle and end, that sets my alarm going too.

Just making sure you aren't AI. Since all the obvious AI posts I have seen in the last week were created by ... MEN. All ridiculous in content and controlling in nature.

Just admit you were wrong!