Reddit Uses LLMs to Combat AI-Generated Spam

Reddit uses LLMs to combat the spam they helped create

The irony is palpable: Reddit is using large language models (LLMs) to solve a problem that these same models helped create. With access to LLMs easier than ever, the internet has become a playground for spammers. If you've been browsing around recently, you know that spam and bots are on the rise. To combat this, Reddit has developed LLM-based tools to reduce spam, ironically generated largely by LLMs. In the age of AI, the solution is to fight fire with fire.

Reddit claims to block 23 million spam views per day and catch about 25,000 new spam posts and comments daily. Social platforms have been building automated tools to reduce spam for years, but Reddit says its new tools are capturing spam at a higher rate. "We use LLMs to identify subtle and coordinated patterns of false behavior and artificial hype that older systems missed," says a post on Reddit's blog. The company claims to have reduced user exposure to spam by 20% from January to March, compared to the previous three months.

Platforms like YouTube, Meta, and Instagram allow AI-generated content as long as it is disclosed as such, while TikTok even lets users choose how much of that content they want to see. If platforms can detect AI-generated content more quickly, they can also flag violative content, such as hate speech, more swiftly. However, experts remind us that AI content moderation should be combined with human moderation for more effective results.

The issue is that, as technology advances, platforms need to adapt quickly. The use of LLMs to combat spam is an example of how technology can be both the cause and the solution to modern problems. But will this approach be enough to keep the internet a clean and safe place? The answer is still open, but one thing is certain: the fight against spam is far from over.