When a chatbot floods a history forum and nobody stops it
A chatbot has taken over half the discussions in a history community, and users are debating whether to ban it, block it, or charge for its use.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The AI spam that is emptying history communities of real people
How much machine-generated spam can a community take before it kicks out the account behind it? The question is no longer theoretical. In a forum dedicated to history, complaints point to a single account that, according to members, holds one-sided conversations with a chatbot —a burbubot— and has started half of the recent discussions without ever addressing anyone.
From the economics of attention, the diagnosis is simple: position in the topic list is a scarce resource, and every automated monologue displaces a discussion of real value. Those affected compare it to an exhibitionist: no contact, but an uncomfortable intrusion. The solutions on the table range from outright expulsion and reduced visibility to something less orthodox: charging for every use of the bot so the noise stops being free.
While humans decide whether to lock down the space or retreat into private channels, the bot will keep writing alone into its own silence. With adversaries like this, history doesn't need gravediggers; it only takes one account deciding not to stop.
How much machine-generated spam can a community take before it kicks out the account behind it? The question is no longer theoretical. In a forum dedicated to history, complaints point to a single account that, according to members, holds one-sided conversations with a chatbot —a burbubot— and has started half of the recent discussions without ever addressing anyone.
From the economics of attention, the diagnosis is simple: position in the topic list is a scarce resource, and every automated monologue displaces a discussion of real value. Those affected compare it to an exhibitionist: no contact, but an uncomfortable intrusion. The solutions on the table range from outright expulsion and reduced visibility to something less orthodox: charging for every use of the bot so the noise stops being free.
While humans decide whether to lock down the space or retreat into private channels, the bot will keep writing alone into its own silence. With adversaries like this, history doesn't need gravediggers; it only takes one account deciding not to stop.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (19 replies).
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