Have you noticed AI generated threads on this forum?

JoseThailand · December 25, 2024

Honestly, I’ve been wondering about this myself lately. Some threads and posts feel a bit… off, you know? Like, they’re too perfectly worded or just super generic in a way that doesn’t feel natural. It’s not always obvious, but once you start paying attention, you notice the patterns. There’s this overly polished vibe, or sometimes the posts just don’t really answer the question in a human way. It’s like someone fed a bot a prompt, and it spit out a nice, neat response.

I don’t necessarily think AI threads are all bad. Some are actually helpful, especially if they’re about facts or straightforward advice. But when it comes to real discussions, AI just doesn’t quite get it. It’s like talking to someone who’s there but not really there, if that makes sense. You can tell when something’s missing - like personal experience, humor, or the little quirks that make human conversations interesting.

It makes me wonder if forums are going to get flooded with this stuff. I mean, sure, AI is cool, but if half the posts are generated responses, doesn’t that kind of kill the whole point of a forum? Forums are supposed to be about real people sharing thoughts, debates, and stories - not a bot writing a polished essay for every thread.

What do you guys think? Have you noticed it too, or am I just overthinking things? And if it’s happening, do you think it’s a problem, or is it just the way things are going now?

mokwit · December 25, 2024

AN staff work hard to bring us quality content.

Old Curmudgeon · December 25, 2024

@JoseThailand -

Good observation, and, yes, certainly true: here and elsewhere.

Here it is mostly opening posts on generic topics like shopping, sightseeing, or medical care.

Most AI posts here are put up by managers of the forum in order to generate more and more posts as replies.

However, in their defense, this forum is a profit-making business (I assume).

In order to attract advertisers they need to show lots and lots of posts.

Fair enough, I say.

And, further in their defense, AI "content" is flooding social media everywhere.

And not just social media.

Even my email program offers AI generated writing service.

Just tell it a topic with a few requirements and it will generate an email at any level you specify: family, co-worker, manager, senior executive, public announcement.

If not AI generated, then human-written content is increasingly copy-edited by AI.

As a result human-written content can end up "sounding like" it was written by an AI bot.

A new "skill" for survival on the Internet is how to discern what is AI and what is real.

And ... and ... AI will help you with that skill.

You can input text into an AI bot and ask if that text was likely written by an AI bot or by a human being.

So a good defense against AI is more AI ! !

Disclosure: Not one word of this post was generated by AI.

Nor did I use AI to copy edit.

So all misteakes in spellling and grammer are 100% mine.

FriscoKid · December 25, 2024

55 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

Honestly, I’ve been wondering about this myself lately. Some threads and posts feel a bit… off, you know? Like, they’re too perfectly worded or just super generic in a way that doesn’t feel natural. It’s not always obvious, but once you start paying attention, you notice the patterns. There’s this overly polished vibe, or sometimes the posts just don’t really answer the question in a human way. It’s like someone fed a bot a prompt, and it spit out a nice, neat response.

I don’t necessarily think AI threads are all bad. Some are actually helpful, especially if they’re about facts or straightforward advice. But when it comes to real discussions, AI just doesn’t quite get it. It’s like talking to someone who’s there but not really there, if that makes sense. You can tell when something’s missing - like personal experience, humor, or the little quirks that make human conversations interesting.

It makes me wonder if forums are going to get flooded with this stuff. I mean, sure, AI is cool, but if half the posts are generated responses, doesn’t that kind of kill the whole point of a forum? Forums are supposed to be about real people sharing thoughts, debates, and stories - not a bot writing a polished essay for every thread.

What do you guys think? Have you noticed it too, or am I just overthinking things? And if it’s happening, do you think it’s a problem, or is it just the way things are going now?

Congratulations on your AI post.

Dante99 · December 25, 2024

It would be very sad to think that all the posts were written by real people.

FriscoKid · December 25, 2024

This whole topic was written by AI. The OP is just trolling.

recom273 · December 25, 2024

It's sad really, I wish there nothing was posted at all.

I wrote some code for a microcontroller in AI the other day, awesome, I now have an automated roller blind - My sister wanted some artwork of cars that resembled a drawing from a Haynes car manual and the AI understood and converted a photo to a line drawing. Amazing results. I understand that AI has a pretty important role in today's world.

However, then I get homework submitted that's obviously been written in ChatGPT, and every student has the same homework. Then I come here to AN and read a clunky and obvious attempt at an AI forum post. I can think of better uses.

NativeBob · December 25, 2024

Thanks for bringing an attention about AI posts here at AN. I will keep it in mind nest time I open it.

scubascuba3 · December 25, 2024

Here isn't too bad, Facebook is the worst, AI content and fake reviews

Old Curmudgeon · December 25, 2024

Just for fun, I copied @JoseThailand's opening post and input the text into an AI bot.

Then said to re-write it, as AI generated text.

In other words, AI in reverse ! !

Here's the result:

Quote

Observations on AI-Generated Content in Online Discussions
Recently, I have been analyzing the nature of various online threads and posts. A noticeable trend has emerged where certain contributions exhibit characteristics that seem atypical for human-generated content. These posts often appear excessively polished or generic, lacking the spontaneity typically associated with authentic human interaction. While the artificiality may not be immediately apparent, a closer examination reveals discernible patterns indicative of AI involvement.
Characteristics of AI-Generated Posts

Polished Language: Many posts possess an overly refined quality, suggesting they may have been crafted by an algorithm rather than a person.

Lack of Depth: Responses frequently fail to engage with the nuances of the discussion, offering straightforward answers that lack the richness of personal experience or emotional resonance.

Absence of Human Elements: Elements such as humor, individuality, and unique perspectives are often missing, creating a sense of detachment in the conversation.

Implications for Online Forums
The prevalence of AI-generated content raises important questions about the future of online forums. While AI can provide factual information and straightforward advice effectively, it struggles to replicate the depth and engagement found in genuine human discourse. This situation creates a paradox: while AI technology is advancing and can enhance certain interactions, an overabundance of automated responses may undermine the very essence of forums—spaces for real people to share thoughts, debates, and narratives.
Community Reflection
I invite community members to reflect on this phenomenon. Have you observed similar trends in online discussions? Are you concerned about the potential impact of AI-generated content on the quality and authenticity of forum interactions? Your insights are valuable as we navigate this evolving landscape.

CallumWK · December 25, 2024

12 minutes ago, Old Curmudgeon said:

Just for fun, I copied @JoseThailand's opening post and input the text into an AI bot.

Then said to re-write it, as AI generated text.

In other words, AI in reverse ! !

Here's the result:

The OP isn't written by AI, but surely all your posts are

Celsius · December 25, 2024

2 hours ago, mokwit said:

AN staff work hard to bring us quality content

artificial negligence

GammaGlobulin · December 25, 2024

I am not sure...but....

Honestly, I would prefer that at AI LLMs had never been created.

Almost worse than FaceBook.

Why would anyone wish to read AI-text (by low-level commenters) on any site which is mostly for the purpose of contributing thoughts created by humans, and not robots?

I just do not understand, I guess.

I am confused, as always, about this.

BangkokReady · December 25, 2024

I don't know about AI, but there seems to be quite a few posters that offer a slightly different version of the "dead internet theory".

People post troll topics to troll others. The multiple troll accounts that use this forum then reply with their trolling comments. And the original posters reply to these troll comments with their own continued troll comments.

Completely pointless.

Old Curmudgeon · December 25, 2024

28 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

People post troll topics to troll others. ... Completely pointless.

@BangkokReady -

Excellent observation.

And thank you for having the courage to speak clearly about this topic.

I am going to respectfully disagree with you here.

I started reading this forum (Thai Visa) in 2003 ... soon after it began.

There were a few trolls back then, but very few.

Every year since, worse and worse, until now, most threads are mostly trolls.

Why?

I respectfully suggest that the trolls are NOT pointless.

Troll posts are actually wanted by forum management.

And therefore, not removed or banned by our dedicated moderators.

Why #2?

Because quantity of posts translates into advertising revenue.

No way to measure quality of posts, but easy to count quantity.

More posts mean more money from advertising.

A lot more posts means a lot more money.

Without all those troll posts, the advertisers not would have the quantity they want to see.

Those advertisers pay the bills.

And without those advertisers there wouldn't be a forum here.

So I say thank you to the trolls for keeping this forum alive.

Those trolls put in hours, days, months and years posting their monkey chatter.

But without them: no forum!

So, what can you do to make your reading of this forum a better experience; not "pointless"??

"Ignore User" of course.

Works beautifully

So my response is to quietly -- without complaining -- ignore users.

For example, here's what I see on this thread.

Other threads are similar.

What remains is usually worth reading.

BangkokReady · December 25, 2024

3 minutes ago, Old Curmudgeon said:

@BangkokReady -

Excellent observation.

And thank you for having the courage to speak clearly about this topic.

I am going to respectfully disagree with you here.

I started reading this forum (Thai Visa) in 2003 ... soon after it began.

There were a few trolls back then, but very few.

Every year since, worse and worse, until now, most threads are mostly trolls.

Why?

I respectfully suggest that the trolls are NOT pointless.

Troll posts are actually wanted by forum management.

And therefore, not removed or banned by our dedicated moderators.

Why #2?

Because quantity of posts translates into advertising revenue.

No way to measure quality of posts, but easy to count quantity.

More posts mean more money from advertising.

A lot more posts means a lot more money.

Without all those troll posts, the advertisers would have the quantity they want.

Those advertisers pay the bills.

And without those advertisers there wouldn't be a forum here.

So I say thank you to the trolls for keeping this forum alive.

Those trolls put in hours, days, months and years posting their monkey chatter.

But without them: no forum!

So, what can you do to make your reading of this forum a better experience; not "pointless"??

"Ignore User" of course.

Works beautifully, and everybody's happy: Readers of the forum, management of the forum, advertisers who pay for the forum, and, presumably, the trolls.

So my response is to quietly -- without complaining -- ignore users.

It's still pointless. Trolls try to troll people with insincere posts. Other trolls don't care about the reason for the posts and only reply to troll the original troller. The original troller doesn't care about that trolling and simply trolls back.

The fact that the intention was to troll, and only others trolls answer, who then intend to troll, but who are then only answered by the original troll in a further troll, means that the troll never worked, therefore there is no point to the troll.

Old Curmudgeon · December 25, 2024

1 minute ago, BangkokReady said:

It's still pointless. ... The fact that the intention was to troll, and only others trolls answer, who then intend to troll, but who are then only answered by the original troll in a further troll, means that the troll never worked, therefore there is no point to the troll.

Thank you, @BangkokReady for that reply.

I appreciate having a better understanding of your approach to these matters.

See ya'.

- Old Curmudgeon

BKKBike09 · December 25, 2024

What I find insidious is that most AI content / text generators offer loads of styles - "casual", "professional", "humorous", "academic" etc - but seems like most don't offer styles like "sarcastic", "insulting", "supercilious" etc.

Because it's not nice to be rude to people; respect and celebrate differences, don't criticise but "be kind" ...

0ffshore360 · December 25, 2024

3 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

Honestly, I’ve been wondering about this myself lately. Some threads and posts feel a bit… off, you know? Like, they’re too perfectly worded or just super generic in a way that doesn’t feel natural. It’s not always obvious, but once you start paying attention, you notice the patterns. There’s this overly polished vibe, or sometimes the posts just don’t really answer the question in a human way. It’s like someone fed a bot a prompt, and it spit out a nice, neat response.

I don’t necessarily think AI threads are all bad. Some are actually helpful, especially if they’re about facts or straightforward advice. But when it comes to real discussions, AI just doesn’t quite get it. It’s like talking to someone who’s there but not really there, if that makes sense. You can tell when something’s missing - like personal experience, humor, or the little quirks that make human conversations interesting.

It makes me wonder if forums are going to get flooded with this stuff. I mean, sure, AI is cool, but if half the posts are generated responses, doesn’t that kind of kill the whole point of a forum? Forums are supposed to be about real people sharing thoughts, debates, and stories - not a bot writing a polished essay for every thread.

What do you guys think? Have you noticed it too, or am I just overthinking things? And if it’s happening, do you think it’s a problem, or is it just the way things are going now?

Noticed?

It is rapidly becoming a distraction of residual appeal in AN for me.

Too often employed as supposedly intellectual presentations of or debates over topics where simplistic views/opinion biased to an indoctrinated mindset is satisfied by AI generated confirmation .

Keeping in mind that AI is a programed software source and the location of those that create the response in answers is determined by data derived from/as generalized social expectation in the manner put to online searches with zero realization that it results in a bias.

AI is incapable of original thought. It can only provide a summation of information as inputted and the output , as programed to be, appears as some sterile version of a (non) sentient persona.

There is at least one such as "member" on AN.

ballpoint · December 25, 2024

I beg to differ. I see no signs of any intelligence on many of the threads started on here. Artificial or otherwise.

0ffshore360 · December 25, 2024

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I am not sure...but....

Honestly, I would prefer that at AI LLMs had never been created.

Almost worse than FaceBook.

Why would anyone wish to read AI-text (by low-level commenters) on any site which is mostly for the purpose of contributing thoughts created by humans, and not robots?

I just do not understand, I guess.

I am confused, as always, about this.

🤣 bogus

OneMoreFarang · December 25, 2024

A couple of months ago, I think when this forum was sold, there are an article which clearly stated that they will collect information, and they use AI to generate articles out of that and they won't mention the original sources.

I think that article was soon removed after lots of critical comments from the members.

When the subject sounds interesting enough, then I use sometimes AI to get a short summary. And maybe then I will discuss it with other humans and without AI.

NativeBob · December 25, 2024

Thanks a lot for bringing this up.
Rewriting articles using AI is one thing when you do it for tour pleasure/use and [I guess] different when you post it as your own at public. Yes, I understand that my very own opinion and others might consider it as non-essential.