{
  "id": 16813865,
  "title": "3 out of 4 responses to UK smoke-free generation consultation were AI bot-generated",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/3-out-of-4-responses-to-uk-smoke-free-generation-consultation-were-ai",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-27T22:30:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-responses-uk-free-generation-ai.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "During a 2023 public consultation in the United Kingdom about creating a smoke-free generation and restricting disposable vape sales, three-quarters of the 118,756 responses were generated by AI bots, according to an analysis published in Tobacco Control. All of these bot-generated responses opposed proposed restrictions on disposable vape sales. After removing the bot responses, 77% of the valid respondents supported the restrictions. The researchers found this to be the first documented case of large-scale automated interference in a formal public health policy consultation. While it's unclear who funded the campaign, tobacco companies have previously flooded consultations with favorable responses. The researchers emphasize the need for improved detection and governance measures to maintain the integrity of public health policymaking.",
  "summary": "Three-quarters of all the responses to the U.K.'s public consultation in 2023 on creating a smoke-free generation and restricting disposable vape sales were generated by AI bots, finds an analysis of publicly available data and freedom of information requests, published online in the journal Tobacco Control.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}