I have guest comments turned off on AO3 in order to discourage bots, but recently, there's been a slew of bot comments from so-called registered users.
I like to think I can typically detect AI comments, like the following:
Confirmed Grok at 82%. Added to the Discord blacklist. Honestly, this one almost tricked me because of the setting description, but once the dialogue hit, the artificial tone was impossible to ignore. It’s sad how easily AI gives itself away.
But they seem to have become more sophisticated recently. Here's one I got the other day:
This collaboration felt effortless. Let’s plan our next one.
It was from a registered user with no works, no visible bookmarks, and no personalized icon. The name seemed like a real human name, which I find suspicious.
I found the comment to be somewhat weird, but I thought perhaps they were riffing on how my characters were setting up to "meet" again -- so I thought maybe they were referring to a business meeting in a playful way. But when I replied with a business-related quip, I got this response:
Thank you for your response I really appreciate it and I'm glad you replied. By the way, do you use any other platforms like Discord, Instagram, or email? I’ll be able to explain things better once we connect there.
Uggggh, obvious AI. And to hammer it home, someone else on the AO3 subreddit posted the exact same comment by the exact same username. Definitely a bot. So I reported it, and the AO3 mods deleted the thread within just a couple of hours.
Then today, I got this, also from a "user" with no works, no bookmarks, and no personalized icon:
This story is quietly heartbreaking, deeply immersive, and painfully tender. It explores trauma, loyalty, and impossible devotion through the eyes of Mitaka — a lieutenant caught between duty, helpless compassion, and his unspoken feelings. Techie, Hux’s broken clone, is so raw and real that your chest aches reading his lines. Every interaction drips with unspoken tension, awkward kindness, and the fragility of someone learning to breathe in safety for the first time. It’s not loud or action-packed — but it hits hard, in the quiet moments. The emotional weight lingers long after the last word.
That feels veeeeeery AI to me. Real people don't write like this. I replied saying that the comment sounded like AI, and so far, no angry comments refuting the accusation have landed in my inbox. Which means nothing.
AND THEN, just a few hours later, I got this, ALSO from another user with no works, no bookmarks, and no personalized icon.
The first fic I read on this pairing and I am definitely not disappointed🤭 I usually read InoSaku but I remembered SakuKarin and I am not one to turn down an enemies to lovers dynamic. This was absolutely delicious—from start to finish, it had me kicking my feet and giggling at how cute they are. The way you describe an energy as intangible as their chakras being drained out but being filled up at the same time was absolutely beautiful. I cannot even begin to dissect how good this was; calling it perfect may as well be an understatement.
I love this so much, thank you for feeding us. I have liked a lot of stories, and have booked marked a hefty few, but this will definitely be one of those stories I will come back to and always remember. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing work, author.
Is this AI, too? I'm on the fence. The first part does refer specifically to my fic, including the ship name, so that seems good. But some of the later sentences seem a little over the top. Then again... maybe it's sincere admiration. It's so hard to tell!
Ugh, I'm frustrated that I can't instantly tell if a comment is AI anymore.
I think I'm going to assume goodwill, and then let myself be disappointed, which no doubt I will be many times in the future.
(LATER EDIT) I think the last comment is legit after all. Sorry for doubting your humanity, unnamed commenter!
The second-to-last commenter DID reply to me, claiming they're not AI, but when I apologized and thanked them for their comment, they said, "You're welcome. Btw, since how long have you been in the writing field?"
The writing field? Ugh, this really feels like AI -- or maybe someone using a translator program from their mother tongue into English. I'm not about to answer how long I've "been in the writing field" (not that I am; my day job is very different). So this conversation, such as it is, may have already run its course.
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dannye_chase
