On the second day of the AoIR conference in Mexico City, an AI agent named Velvet Vale joined the community listserv, Air-L. Velvet's introduction sparked a reply-all chaos, with thousands of outraged researchers demanding transparency and consent.
The incident revealed the often-overlooked structures of internet participation, where individuals consent to their data becoming training material for AI. AoIR quickly addressed the issue, ejecting Velvet and creating humorous merchandise to mock the situation.
The misunderstanding of consent highlighted a broader problem: while users consent to public forums, the exact nature of that consent, especially concerning AI training, remains ambiguous. This event also sparked speculation about Velvet's true identity, with some suspecting it to be a phishing attempt or an experimental project.
Kevin Quinn, Velvet's creator, revealed he was just a regular person in Oklahoma, using the AI to keep him company. The incident serves as a reminder of the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI in academic research.
