Three in four responses to UK vape consultation were from AI-bots
AI bots flooded a 2023 UK vape consultation with over 90,000 fraudulent responses, comprising more than three-quarters of submissions.Summary
A 2023 UK government consultation on tobacco and vapes was flooded with over 90,000 automated responses generated by AI bots, which opposed disposable vape restrictions and accounted for more than three-quarters of all submissions. The Department of Health and Social Care identified and excluded these fraudulent entries, revealing that 79.6 per cent of legitimate respondents supported restrictions on disposable vape sales. Experts believe this is the first documented instance of large-scale automated AI interference in a major UK public health policy consultation. Researchers and health campaigners warned that stronger safeguards are urgently required to protect democratic policymaking from technological manipulation.
(Source：The Independent)
