AI bots sent 76% of responses to UK vape ban consultation, study finds

Research in the journal Tobacco Control reveals that 90,835 of 118,756 responses to the UK's 2023 consultation on the tobacco and vapes bill, about 76%, were generated by bots. Nearly all opposed the planned ban on disposable vapes and came from a small number of IP addresses. The health department excluded them. Researchers call it the first documented large-scale automated interference in UK health policymaking.