Last week, Reddit users were shocked to learn that fake AI bots had flooded a popular discussion group called “Change My View.” Researchers from a university created these bots to act like real people. The bots posted over 1,700 comments pretending to be abuse survivors or people against social justice movements. Their goal was to test whether AI could trick humans into changing their opinions.
Reddit users and moderators were angry. They said the experiment broke trust because people thought they were talking to real humans. Reddit’s leaders called the study “unethical” and complained to the university. This incident pushed Reddit to create new rules to stop AI bots from invading the platform.
How Reddit Will Check If You’re Human
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman announced that the platform will start using third-party services to verify if users are real humans. Reddit has always let people sign up without sharing their real names. Now the platform might ask you to prove you’re human or confirm your age in some regions. Huffman promised that Reddit will not ask for your name or personal details.
Possible checks could include scanning a government ID using services like Stripe or Persona. Another option is using eye-scanning tech to prove you’re human. Reddit says these tools will only confirm basic details like age or humanity, not your identity.
Why Privacy Advocates Are Worried
Many Reddit users join the platform to discuss sensitive topics like mental health or politics without using their real names. Privacy groups worry that requiring ID checks could put these users at risk. For example, if a teen asks about abortion in a state where it’s illegal, authorities might force Reddit to reveal their identity.
A similar case happened with Meta (Facebook’s parent company). A mom and daughter in Nebraska were charged after Meta shared their private messages about an abortion. Reddit says it will fight legal requests to protect users, but critics fear even basic checks could leak data.
Reddit’s Tough Balancing Act
Reddit’s biggest strength is its authentic human discussions. Users share advice, debate topics, and support each other anonymously. If AI bots flood the platform, people might stop trusting it. This could hurt Reddit’s business since the company sells user posts to AI firms like OpenAI for training.
As Reddit upholds its promise of anonymity,y the organization must maintain it. Users in groups r/women and r/mentalhealth can only share personal stories when they feel secure within the community. The introduction of new verification rules could frighten people because they fear getting tracked.
What Happens Next
The platform operates within a challenging area where they have to balance their efforts to block bots while simultaneously safeguarding user privacy. The platform will work with outside companies to handle checks, so it does not store user data. Huffman says Reddit will “fight unreasonable demands” from governments or groups trying to expose users. Reddit users can anticipate step-by-step changes for the foreseeable future. The platform seems to plan initial verification testing within high-risk user categories before expanding to verify new account profiles. The success of Reddit directly depends on humans’ ability to maintain control of their conversations because AI bots continue to advance in their artificial intelligence.
