Warning: AI generated comments on the rise
A couple of months ago there was a large number of old Hive accounts that started copying old posts from legit users and reposting it as their own trying to get some rewards.
I remember reading about it in many different Discord channels.
A lot of these accounts have been put on the blacklist downvoted so their low reputation hides their posts.
AI Comments
But recently I've discovered a new form of abuse; AI generated comment. I wonder if there are more people that have noticed the same.
It might be that I've noticed these comments since I'm reading a lot of comments for my @topcomment curation service. And it might be just the upvotes from this (and other comment curation services) they are after...
The cases I've seen have a lot in common. The comments are often made on very old blogs. As you can see in the screenshot below the original blog was from January 2020 (it even received Steem 😂), but the comment is from two days ago. It looks like a genuine comment that engages with the content of the blog. Something I would typically curate with the @topcomment account.
But besides the strange 'delay' of the comment, all these comments also have a link to a website.
At first I thought it would be phishing links, but it seem to be links to legitimate websites that correspond with the subject of the blog. In the example below it goes to totalatticstorage.com.au which seems a normal company. Other blogs refer to Miami Cleaning Services.
It doesn't seem like an add either since it's not a referral link and they are not actively promoting the companies. It really seems the AI chatbot has just added a link that seems to match the subject.
I discovered another one today. I was triggered by a comment that was in Dutch, my native language. As not many people post in Dutch on Hive the comment had my attention immediately. The comment is one from a low reputation account that interacts with a blog from 2018 that was written in Dutch.
The link leads to a horoscope website.
As I mentioned before; I don't know the exact reason why they are creating this AI generated comments. They will probably hardly get upvotes from the authors they vote on. I guess most of them aren't even active anymore on Hive.
So it might be to catch some votes from comment curation services.
If anyone has another idea why they do this, please let me know. I'm curious 😀
Tagging @hivewatchers as I don't know if they are aware of this trend (they probably do).
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I received a funny comment like this recently on an old post. I found it strange… now I guess it was likely this ai commenting you have discovered.
Hi.
If you see any form of deception like this, please report it to us.
Any AI content needs to be clearly marked to notify others (post or comment), and rewards should be declined.
not only old posts, but new posts have similar kind of comments...
also, they accounts commenting are not necessarily the low reputation accounts.
They do have a well defined structure, spotless grammar, and a wonderful chivalry in their accent.
Hahaha I really like your description of those comments. Especially that "wonderful chivalry" bit. You gave them much more credit than I did on my own description of them.
!PIZZA
I've been seeing more of this too. From pretty respected accounts as well. If you don't have time to comment, just move along. It's pretty obvious when you are phoning it in whether you use AI or not!
I didn't notice that, but seen an example from Hivewatchers in the comments...
That's even worse than scammers I think...
At least I'm getting fooled more easily.
Haha.
yeh I've seen one or two of em a few months ago, they most likely don't even understand our system we have here and think it's just easy money not knowing they will be downvoted to hell by those with the VP for it. Guess it always was an inevitability for it to start on Hive also...
It will get worse when they do get to understand our system 😐
Yes, @friendlymoose.
I can imagine how troubling this discovery would be. The little bit I have seen reference to it on Hive, it seems some have a way of analyzing content to determine if it AI generated. I have no idea how that works. Or what percentage of the time the conclusion of these analyses is accurate.
I do know this. You somehow found my comment on a post written by @stayoutoftherz in 2017, in following up on a thread of our conversation. Thankfully, it passed your personal analytics. I can certainly vouch for it being authentic!
Fully aware no one really cares what I think, I have no problem telling you the lack of interaction on Hive posts is the most troubling aspect of my experience so far. By your efforts to address it, I hope you find a growing level of support for your great initiative.
Irrespective of that, along the way, how successfully the Hive blockchain deals with AI generated content will be closely watched. Its future may and likely will depend on it.
How chivalrous of you to say. 🤔
I do care, though.
Okay. Thank you!
It is not forbidden to comment on old posts. It does raise my attention (if I notice it). And especially when I don't recognize the username as an active Hiver.
Sad to see theese, they turn the social network into an asocial network.
It's because money is involved.
In those where money is not involved, it's more of a sociopathic network!
!PIZZA
They are (unsuccessfully) taking over.
It's sort of funny how they go on and on about nothing really...
I think I've already seen my fair share of these too but I mistook them for low quality low effort underhanded upvote begging.
Well, actually they are still that! It's just that they are not written by an actual human.
Hello.
If you see any, please report it in our online form.
We have AI-generated content more and less under control.
It is an endless battle, just as with other abuses like plagiarism, spam, etc.
It will continue as long as mindless voting is involved.
Will do!
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@proto26(3/5) tipped @godfish
proto26 tipped vixmemon
I thought I was the only one that noticed this. I came across some of them in the last months and I could easily detect it was comments generated from AI. I even had to confront one then but I didn't see them around again. I think they are trying to take advantage of the comment curation thinking they wouldn't be caught.
Hi.
If you see any, please report it in our online form.
We have AI-generated content more and less under control.
It is an endless battle, just as with other abuses like plagiarism, spam, etc.
It will continue as long as mindless curation is involved.
Alright, noted.
Reading all the reactions to this post we are not the only ones...
Hello.
I have been aware of AI-generated comments. They have been happening for quite a while.
Even older users start to abuse AI comments.
For example, this user was recently caught for publishing AI-generated posts and comments. Many Hiveians were deceived, thinking that he created them.
silversaver888
The user is currently blacklisted and gong through 30 day appeal process.
I think it will be much more difficult to discover when genuine, active users start using AI 😞
I remember upvoting this users comments a few times with the @topcomment account.
That comment is pretty obvious Ai, all that enthusiasm, that deep tought development and so on... The problem will be in some years when ai will be more trained
I think so too...
I see comments that look AI-generated from time to time. When I feel quite sure about that, I don't upvote them.
AI comments suck, and I especially don't like the feeling that authors of such comments trying to cheat you... But don't think AI comments are a serious threat to Hive.
Maybe not yet at the moment, but when it gets better it might.
I think I am getting to spot more efficiently AI shite, usually from persons whose native language is not english. I am also noticing recently a drop in comments in general and a slow down of posting on a lot of hivian accounts that I follow. Is there a general malaise due to the crap performance value of hive and a can't be arsed posting for nothing?
That's another issue I think; people translating their comments with AI, but these comments are completely generated with AI.
ah! got ya 👍
👀🤣 who even digs up a 2018 blog just to drop a comment, I'm not that old on the platform so I thought right after some months with a blog, the author won't even consider your comments. My best guess is that whoever is doing it is just throwing random moves to see which will work. This is freaking awkward
Maybe he/she is indeed just finetuning their AI tools.
yeah well he or she needs more work on that 🤣 this so freaking obvious lol.. thanks for sharing this though man, I'll keep my eyes open for some and I'll share them with you when I spot em
Yes, I noticed one reply that looks like AI generated but I am not an expert, but I think it was rare that someone do it...
New technologies always bring new opportunities, but also new problems and challenges, for which we want to continue expressing our words and thoughts. Now, with the competition from these AIs, some users fail to see the harm they cause by not engaging their brains and instead relying on the convenience of someone else doing their thinking for them.
In the end, what may end up happening is that the person doesn't exercise their brain, doesn't create new connections, and will be more prone to the effects of dementia in the future.