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Summary

Stack Overflow, Inc. has recently implemented a policy that bars moderators from removing AI-generated content, which has resulted in the proliferation of incorrect information and plagiarism. A group of volunteer moderators, contributors, and users of Stack Overflow and the Stack Exchange network have declared a general moderation strike in protest of this policy change, in an effort to protect the Stack Exchange platform and its users. The strike involves the pausing of activities such as raising and handling flags, running SmokeDetector, closing or voting to close posts, deleting or voting to delete posts, and reviewing tasks in the various review queues. The strike will continue until Stack Overflow, Inc. retracts their policy change and allows moderators to effectively enforce established policies against AI-generated answers.

Q&As

What is the general moderation strike protesting?
The general moderation strike is protesting the near-total prohibition on moderating AI-generated content in the wake of a flood of such content being posted to and subsequently removed from the Stack Exchange network, tacitly allowing the proliferation of incorrect information ("hallucinations") and unfettered plagiarism on the Stack Exchange network.

What activities are the moderators pausing during the strike?
Moderators are pausing activities including, but not limited to: raising and handling flags, running SmokeDetector, the anti-spam bot, closing or voting to close posts, deleting or voting to delete posts, reviewing tasks in the various review queues, and running various other bots designed to assist in moderation, such as detecting plagiarism, low-quality answers, and rude comments.

How can non-moderators participate in the strike?
Non-moderators can participate in the strike by not voting on posts, not submitting edits, not reviewing in the review queues, not commenting, and not flagging posts.

Why is it difficult to remove AI-generated content?
It is difficult to remove AI-generated content because it can look high quality on the surface and can often gain upvotes or even accepts despite being wildly inaccurate. AI-generated content can also be spammed at a very high speed.

What metrics do moderators use to detect AI-generated content?
Moderators use their own intuition as well as multiple automated tools together to form a conclusion when determining if content is AI-generated. If they are unsure something is AI written, no suspensions are issued.

AI Comments

👍 This article brings to light an important issue regarding AI-generated content and the integrity of the Stack Exchange network. It is great to see the volunteer moderators, contributors, and users coming together to address this issue.

👎 This article is too long and it is difficult to identify the main points of the issue at hand. The article could have been more concise and direct with its message.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about a group of volunteer moderators, contributors, and users of Stack Overflow and the Stack Exchange network who are protesting a policy change by Stack Overflow, Inc. that prohibits moderators from removing AI-generated content. They have organized a general moderation strike in protest of this and other recent and upcoming changes to policy and the platform that are being forced upon them.

Friend: That's pretty serious. What kind of implications could this have for Stack Overflow and the Stack Exchange network?

Me: Well, if the moderators go through with their strike, it could have serious implications for the integrity and trustworthiness of the platform and its content. Without proper moderation, incorrect information and plagiarism would be allowed to proliferate unchecked, which would likely lead to a decrease in user engagement and trust in the platform. Furthermore, it could also result in a drop in overall quality of the content being posted on the platform, since moderators are no longer able to effectively enforce established policies against AI-generated answers.

Action items

Sign the petition to demonstrate your support for the strike.
Refrain from voting, submitting edits, reviewing in the review queues, commenting, and flagging posts during the strike.
Spread awareness of the strike and the issues at hand by sharing the petition and article on social media.

Technical terms

AI-generated content: Content created by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms.
Hallucinations: False information or beliefs that are not based in reality.
Moderation strike: A protest action taken by moderators in which they cease to perform their duties in order to draw attention to an issue.
SmokeDetector: A bot designed to detect spam on the Stack Exchange network.
Flags: Reports submitted by users to moderators to alert them to potential issues with posts.
Review queues: Queues of posts that require review by moderators.
Stack Exchange network: A network of websites that host questions and answers on a variety of topics.
Stack Overflow, Inc.: The company that owns and operates the Stack Exchange network.