AI bots flooded 2023 UK government consultation on disposable vapes ban

THE NEWS

What happened

AI-generated bots flooded a 2023 UK government consultation on banning disposable vapes with over 90,000 fake responses opposing the ban. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Bath confirmed this was likely the first coordinated attempt to use AI to derail public health policymaking. The Department of Health and Social Care identified and excluded these automated submissions, allowing the ban to proceed under the new Labour government.

CONTEXT

Why it matters

AI-generated bots flooded a UK government consultation on banning disposable vapes with over 90,000 fake responses opposing the ban. Researchers from Edinburgh and Bath confirmed this was likely the first coordinated attempt to use AI to derail public health policymaking. The Department of Health identified and excluded these automated submissions, allowing the ban to proceed under the new Labour government. Experts warn that future AI campaigns may be harder to detect, threatening public trust in democratic processes.

AT A GLANCE

Key facts

• 90,835 out of 118,756 responses (76%) were machine-generated by bots.
• The bots opposed Rishi Sunak's Conservative government's plan to ban disposable vapes.
• Submissions were duplicated and sent at high frequency from a small number of IP addresses.
• Researchers Dr Nason Maani and Prof Anna Gilmore published findings in the journal Tobacco Control.
• The Department of Health and Social Care excluded fake responses from decision-making.
• Keir Starmer's Labour government passed the ban into law in 2024 despite the interference.
• Experts warn that future AI campaigns may be harder to detect, threatening public trust.