Cybercriminals complain about AI-generated content flooding their forums

5 articles · Updated · WIRED · May 6

Researchers from Edinburgh, Cambridge and Strathclyde analysed 97,895 AI-related forum discussions since ChatGPT’s 2022 launch, finding growing backlash against AI-written posts and planned generative AI features.
Users said AI “slop” undermines human interaction, reputation and perceived skill in cybercrime communities, while some also feared Google’s AI overviews were reducing forum traffic.
The study found no major AI-driven disruption among lower-level cybercriminals, though AI has aided SEO fraud, social media bots and some romance scams, and more advanced actors still explore jailbroken models.

If even cybercriminals are wary of AI's security flaws, how vulnerable are the AI systems being adopted by businesses and the public?

While low-level hackers reject 'AI slop,' are elite groups building autonomous attack systems that operate entirely beyond human speed?

With AI voice cloning now indistinguishable from reality, how can we trust digital communications when the cost of deception has collapsed?