Reddit is using LLMs to solve a problem LLMs largely created

Reddit is deploying large language models to suppress a surge of AI-generated spam, a problem the platform says was largely created by the same technology. The company blocks 23 million spam views per day and catches roughly 25,000 new spam posts and comments daily, according to a company blog post [1]. Reddit said its updated detection tools, built with LLMs, are identifying coordinated inauthentic behavior at a higher rate than previous automated systems [1]. “We leverage LLMs to catch the highly subtle, coordinated patterns of fake behavior and artificial hype that older systems once missed,” the company stated [1]. From January to March, Reddit reduced users’ exposure to spam by 20% compared with the prior three months [1]. The shift comes as generative AI tools have become widely accessible. ChatGPT, released by OpenAI in November 2022, accelerated an AI boom and reached 100 million monthly active users within two months [3]. Generative AI applications now include text, image, and video models used across sectors from software development to marketing [2]. The same technology has been used for cybercrime, fake news, and deepfakes [2]. Other major platforms are also adjusting their policies. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, operates an advertising network that generated 97.8 percent of its total revenue in 2023 [5]. Instagram, acquired by Facebook in 2012 for roughly $1 billion, surpassed 1 billion users by June 2018 [7]. YouTube, Meta, and Instagram now permit AI-generated content if users disclose it, while TikTok is testing controls that let users adjust how much AI-generated material appears in their feeds [1]. Reddit’s approach reflects a broader industry pattern: platforms are using the same class of models that produce synthetic spam to detect and remove it [1].