AI is killing traditional forum discussions

[Cedric]

A bit controversial, but is it true?

AI is creeping into every corner of the internet - automated moderation (Reddit), AI-generated content, chatbots answering questions instantly. Some say it’s the future of online communities, making engagement smoother and reducing spam. Others argue it’s killing the heart of real discussions, replacing thoughtful posts with robotic, emotionless responses.

If AI starts generating discussion topics, replying to threads, and even moderating debates, do forums lose their authenticity? Or can AI be used to enhance, rather than replace, real human interaction?

Are we heading toward a future where AI-driven forums are nothing more than glorified Q&A databases, or will smart automation actually breathe new life into online discussions? Where do you draw the line between helpful and harmful AI in forums?

 

[Ravenfreak]

I think it depends on how AI is used. It's fine if someone is using AI to help them write a post, especially if English isn't their first language but as long as they add some edits to make it sound more like it was fully written by a human. However if you're using AI to make fake accounts and they respond to a post almost immediately, it just comes off as being desperate and needing to rely on AI to have a community.

 

[Al]

I voted for Al is ruining forums, but I'm feeling a little bit victimised, if I'm honest.

 

[Cedric]

I voted for Al is ruining forums, but I'm feeling a little bit victimised, if I'm honest.

As you should.

 

[Matthew]

I think it depends on how AI is utilized. As a tool, I think AI only serves to enrich the forum experience. AI, especially prompt driven AI, is limited to the inputter knowing how to run an appropriate query. As an end user, I have to have the knowledge and awareness to be able to synthesize the AI response into something beneficial for my use case. What I end up lacking are external queries that might change or redirect where my initial line of questioning would lead. Additionally, I’m missing out on the human element being able to troubleshoot in real time. This is important because we all know theory and practice do not always 100% align. I think the future is offering a combination of both. However, I am loathe to see AI users built into a forum. If I wanted that type of interaction, I’d just ask ChatGPT.

 

[Uptrendfinancialsignal]

It depends on how we use it. AI can be a friend or a foe when it comes to forums. For instance, I use AI like grammarly to cross check my grammar before posting them on forums. I don't use AI to write, I only use it to make corrections because I'm aware of the harm it can cause. We need to be mindful of how we use AI tools so that we can preserve genuine human interaction.

 

[Senkusha]

A bit controversial, but is it true?

AI is creeping into every corner of the internet - automated moderation (Reddit), AI-generated content, chatbots answering questions instantly. Some say it’s the future of online communities, making engagement smoother and reducing spam. Others argue it’s killing the heart of real discussions, replacing thoughtful posts with robotic, emotionless responses.

If AI starts generating discussion topics, replying to threads, and even moderating debates, do forums lose their authenticity? Or can AI be used to enhance, rather than replace, real human interaction?

Are we heading toward a future where AI-driven forums are nothing more than glorified Q&A databases, or will smart automation actually breathe new life into online discussions? Where do you draw the line between helpful and harmful AI in forums?

As I was reading this post, my mind flashed through a Tik Tok video I saw last year? Maybe it was 2023. Anyway, this young kid, not more than probably 20, appeared to be going to work, texting on his phone, gets stopped by an armed police drone, ends up arrested. He arrives at the detention facility, seems like there is no human attendants. He's stripped, changed, and placed into an isolated holding cell, alone. There's a large video touch screen. He tries to call a lawyer to no avail. Tries to call the Police Chief of Los Angeles, I think? After an hour and a half of waiting on hold, the call is disconnected. He's totally broke now. Has no money for anything.

This horrifying video brought up some trauma I had previously repressed, but is also frightening to think that AI may soon be this embedded into our society. It starts with the basic communication platforms, and then slowly gets rolled out to do more and more tasks. Will people become more lazy, will they rise up and demand this AI movement be controlled? Or are we already too late to stop it, like the cat's out of the bag?

As much fun as I thought about adding an AI bot to do some role playing with, I'm not going to be adding that feature anytime soon.