A major government consultation on the UK’s proposed ban on disposable vapes was overwhelmed by tens of thousands of automated responses, with three-quarters of submissions likely generated by AI bots. Researchers say this represents the first known instance of a coordinated AI-driven campaign to block health-related legislation in the country. The flood of fake submissions failed to stop the bill from advancing, marking a new tactic in efforts to influence policymaking. Experts are now examining whether this marks a broader shift in how lobbying and public consultations are manipulated.
Three-quarters of all responses were machine-generated in failed attempt to stop bill from passing into law, research findsAI bots flooded a government consultation with tens of thousands of fake responses in a failed attempt to stop the UK’s ban on disposable vapes.Three-quarters of all the responses to the 2023 consultation on the tobacco and vapes bill were machine-generated, in what is thought to be the first coordinated attempt to use AI to derail health policymaking in the UK. Continue reading...
