How Far Did They Go? The Persuasive Tactics of Covert LLM Agents in a Discontinued Field Experiment
This study analyzes a publicly released dataset from a discontinued field experiment on Reddit's r/ChangeMyView. The intervention, conducted by unknown, external researchers and halted following ethical backlash, involved undisclosed AI-generated accounts engaging users in live debate. After public disclosure, Reddit authorized moderators to release an archive of the AI-generated comments, creating a rare opportunity to examine how large language models operated in an identity-rich deliberative forum without disclosure. We conduct a structured content analysis of this corpus, evaluating identity performance, authority signaling, alignment strategies, and activation of cognitive heuristics...
| Authors | Kokil Jaidka, Saifuddin Ahmed |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.AI |
| Published | 3 June 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 20 September 2026 |
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