Majority of responses to consultation on smoking Bill ‘generated by AI bots’
Researchers said 90,835 of 118,756 submissions were machine-generated, and valid responses largely backed the vape restrictions after the fake entries were removed.
- University of Edinburgh researchers found that AI bots generated 76% of responses to a UK government consultation, with 90,000 of 118,756 submissions being machine-generated.
- The consultation, held in October 2023, concerned the Tobacco and Vapes Act aiming to create a "smoke-free generation," where automated entries targeted questions to mimic opposition to disposable vape bans.
- Department of Health and Social Care officials identified and removed fraudulent submissions using bot-detection methods; once machine-generated entries were excluded, 79.6% of valid responses supported disposable vape restrictions.
- Researchers described this as the "first documented instance" of large-scale automated interference in public health consultations, though the DHSC said their controls "worked effectively" to prevent manipulation.
- Experts cautioned that bolstering detection capacity "will be essential" as bot sophistication increases, warning that consultations run by bodies with limited technical resources remain particularly vulnerable.
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AI Bots Made Up 76% Of Responses In Failed Bid To Stop UK Disposable Vape Ban, But Officials Caught Them
Researchers found that AI bots generated 90,835 responses to a UK consultation on tobacco and vaping restrictions, potentially distorting public opinion before officials detected and excluded them.
New study reveals 75% of respondents to Government's smoking and vaping laws consultation were bots
New study reveals 75% of respondents to Government's smoking and vaping laws consultation were bots . Three out of every four responses to a Government consultation on smoking and vaping laws were submitted by bots, a new study has revealed
AI bots behind 90,000 fake responses to Government vape consultation
Researchers found 76% of submissions to a consultation on tobacco and vaping restrictions were flagged as fraudulent, with most opposing disposable vape controlsAI bots generated more than 90,000 responses to Government smoking and vaping consultation, study finds
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