Study finds AI bots flooded a UK government consultation on banning disposable vapes
More than three-quarters of responses to the UK's 2023 consultation on the tobacco and vapes bill were generated by AI bots, mostly opposing curbs on disposable vapes, a study has found. Researchers believe it is the first large-scale automated attempt to sway UK health policy.
Left 0 · Centre-left 5 · Centre 0 · Centre-right 1 · Right 1
ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
Left-rated outlets headline it: “AI bots flooded 2023 UK government consultation on disposable vapes ban” (The Guardian); “Huge swarm of AI bots flooded vape ban consultation to influence outcome, study finds” (The Independent).
Centre outlets
No least-biased (centre) outlet in our sample covered it.
Right-leaning outlets
Right-rated outlets headline it: “New study reveals 75% of respondents to Government's smoking and vaping laws consultation were bots” (GB News); “Majority of responses to consultation on smoking Bill ‘generated by AI bots’” (Evening Standard).
Context
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Sources by lean
Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.
Left 2
Centre 0
No centre coverage found — blindspot
Showing 2 from left and right of 7 rated outlets (L 5 / C 0 / R 2). Capped at 2 because that is all we found on the thinnest side. More coverage
Video
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Deep dive
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Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (7 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Mirror | Centre-left | British Publishing Company Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror) owns The Daily Mirror. Revenue is generated through digital advertising, print ads, and subscription fees. source |
| The Guardian | Centre-left | The Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source |
| The Herald (Scotland) | Centre-left | The Glasgow Herald is published by Herald & Times Group, which is owned by Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Newsquest is the second-largest publisher in the United Kingdom, publishing 205 brands including 165 newspapers. Further, Newsquest is owned by US-based Gannett which publishes USA Today. source |
| The Independent | Centre-left | The Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source |
| The National (Scotland) | Centre-left | The National is operated by Newsquest Media Group Ltd., a UK-based local media publisher. Newsquest is a wholly owned subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc., the media company formerly known as Gannett Company, which also controls AZthe USA TODAY Network of national and local news outlets in the United States and regional titles in the United Kingdom. Revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales source |
| Evening Standard | Centre-right | The newspaper is majority-owned by Russian businessman and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev and the Daily Mail and General Trust. Revenue is generated through advertising. source |
| GB News | Right | GB News lacks transparency as they do not disclose ownership. A search reveals that London-based ALL Perspectives Ltd owns GB News. According to Reuters, the television channel “secured millions of dollars from investors such as Discovery Inc, Legatum and hedge fund manager Paul Marshall. source |