Three quarters of UK vape consultation responses were AI-generated bots
An analysis published in Tobacco Control found that 76 percent of submissions to the 2023 UK government consultation on vaping restrictions were created by artificial intelligence.
Scale of automated interference
Researchers examined publicly available data and freedom of information requests regarding the Department of Health and Social Care. They determined that 90,835 out of 118,756 total responses were identified as fraudulent using bot detection methods. The Department of Health and Social Care flagged these submissions because they targeted a single multiple-choice question opposing sales limits.
Nature of the campaign
The volume and consistency of these entries suggest a coordinated effort to influence the outcome of the public inquiry. All bot-generated answers opposed restrictions on disposable vape products in the United Kingdom. Experts note that similar automated tools have previously spread health misinformation on social media platforms.
Vulnerability of consultations
Public consultations intended to inform health regulation are susceptible to this kind of automated interference. The study highlights a gap in current detection methods for government inquiries involving large numbers of submissions. Researchers published their findings online to warn regulators about the risks of bot activity.
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