Reddit Uses LLMs to Address a Problem Primarily Created by LLMs

With the growing accessibility of large language models (LLMs), it has become simpler for malicious actors to inundate the internet with spam. If you have been online recently, you probably noticed that spam and bot-generated content have escalated considerably.

Reddit has announced that it is developing tools that leverage LLMs to combat spam, a significant portion of which is produced by LLMs themselves. This presents an intriguing irony; in the age of AI, platforms are compelled to use similar technologies to fight spam. The platform reports blocking 23 million spam views daily and identifying around 25,000 new spam posts and comments every day.

Although social media platforms have traditionally used automated tools to mitigate spam, Reddit claims that these upgraded tools are now more effective in capturing spam.

“We employ LLMs to detect subtle and coordinated patterns of deceptive behavior and artificial promotion that earlier systems overlooked,” states a blog post from Reddit. The company reports a 20% reduction in users’ exposure to spam from January to March, in comparison to the three months prior.

Platforms like YouTube, Meta, and Instagram permit the sharing of AI-generated content, as long as users disclose it. TikTok is even allowing users to manage the amount of AI-generated content they wish to view.

If platforms can more swiftly identify AI-generated content, they can also improve their ability to quickly flag problematic material such as hate speech. However, experts in platform moderation consistently stress that effective AI content moderation should be paired with human oversight for the best outcomes.