Research by the University of Notre Dame found people failed to identify bots nearly 60% of the time.
Twin Cities suburban residents are voicing concerns over the influx of AI “assistants” in neighborhood Facebook groups.
Posing as cartoon-like personas with names such as LakeGuide and Bville Buddy, the bots post repetitive, one-sided questions — from “best park” to “worst restaurant” — prompting both curiosity and frustration.
Lakeville resident Buffy Sobol Johnson lamented, “We’re not talking to people anymore. It’s not giving any value to the group.”
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, says the AI is designed to “spark meaningful conversations,” but critics argue it erodes genuine community interaction.
Research by the University of Notre Dame found people failed to identify bots nearly 60% of the time. Professor Paul Brenner warned that society is unprepared for such sophisticated AI, urging users to verify suspicious posts offline.
While some enjoy the engagement boost, others, like software engineer Chris Bovitz, push back. “We’re not ready for this,” he said, describing his playful attempts to “sabotage” bot interactions.