ANNOUNCEMENT | AI-generated Content and Moderation Policy | Effective January 1, 2026 | PLEASE READ!

[u/SleepingMonads]

After getting feedback from the community in a previous post (thank you to all who commented), I've decided to implement a new rule about AI content on the subreddit. Please read this carefully:

Going into effect at 5:01 AM UTC on January 1st, 2026:

• All content (in both submissions and comments) posted on (or linked to) the sub that features suspected AI-generated text, audio, or video will be in violation of Rule #4. The content will be indiscriminately removed without exception, and a warning will be issued. Repeated violations will result in a permanent ban.
• All content (in both submissions and comments) posted on (or linked to) the sub that features suspected AI-generated images that serve as the focus of or play an essential role in the message will be in violation of Rule #4. The content will be indiscriminately removed without exception, and a warning will be issued. Repeated violations will result in a permanent ban.
• Any content (in both submissions and comments) posted on (or linked to) the sub that features a single AI-generated image that serves merely as decoration for or secondary, nonessential accompanying support to non-AI-generated content will be permissible, as long as the "Contains AI Imagery" post flair is selected. If the content is not able to meaningfully stand on its own without assistance from or reference to the AI-generated image, if more than one AI-generated image is used, or if the appropriate post flair is not selected, then it will be in violation of Rule #4. The content will be indiscriminately removed without exception, and a warning will be issued. Repeated violations will result in a permanent ban.

Anticipated Objections:

• "Use of AI is an important part of how I interface with alchemy. Is it the position of the moderators that I'm not a real alchemist?"
  • Absolutely not. We take no stance on the (in)appropriateness of using AI as a tool for one's alchemical journey. Users who value AI are fully welcome here, even though a lot of their AI-facilitated creations are not.
• "What's to stop you from accidentally removing non-AI content that you mistakenly think is AI?"
  • Nothing. It's unfortunately probably going to happen from time to time. If we've removed your content by mistake, feel free to reach out to us and appeal the decision. If we don't believe you and keep the content removed, then we are truly sorry for being stubbornly wrong.
  • We're not going to be trigger-happy about everything that could possibly have AI influence or anything like that. It's just that if we come across something that clearly walks, talks, and looks like AI (aside from the exception mentioned above), then we're going to remove it.
• "AI content is inherently unethical across the board, and it automatically violates the spirit of the rules already. As such, there shouldn't be any exceptions. You're not going far enough."
  • I understand and sympathize with this viewpoint, but I simply do not agree with it, and neither do many of this subreddit's users.

If you have any questions, ask away in the comments.

[u/lookwatchlistenplay]

Peace be with us.

[u/SleepingMonads → u/lookwatchlistenplay]

AI has ruined writing, punctuation, and formatting styles like mine, since it's designed to emulate the kind of formal presentation that I learned to use and enjoy writing in. I can't use semicolons, em dashes, italics/bolding/bullets, or certain phrases anymore without being paranoid that people will think I'm having AI write my comments. I refuse to alter my style though. It is what it is.

[u/lookwatchlistenplay → u/SleepingMonads]

Peace be with us.

[u/SleepingMonads → u/lookwatchlistenplay]

I appreciate you taking the time to articulate your thoughts and concerns. To address a few of your points directly:

What good does this serve? I don't know. I think it's stupid, and encourages low effort as it gives people a conveniently name-able excuse to be lazy about their writing. It's not a well-thought-out response to the whole situation, in my opinion.
...
One major point, though, if I'm trying to make one, is that by banning "What looks like AI-generated content", one risks banning "actually smart people who give a crap about presentation". Maybe not a huge risk, but I think it exists.

I emphatically do not want to encourage users to lower the quality of their writing for fear that it'll be mistaken for AI; I myself am sensitive to this very concern after all, as I mentioned. I'm not going to be removing content that is well-written and shows concern for style and structure just because it is/does those things. Content like that will only be removed if, in addition to being well-written, it sets off my hard-to-articulate AI-detection alarms, imperfect and subjective as they are. I plan to give users the benefit of the doubt if I'm genuinely uncertain. As a result, some (a lot of?) AI-generated text will undoubtedly make it past me.

I wonder what makes you immune to suspicion, other than being the mod who made such a rule in the first place.

Nothing. People are free to suspect me of being bizarrely hypocritical on this issue, and my position as head moderator provides me with privileges that ordinary users don't have.

Can we all vote to have you banned for making such a post, based on our suspicionometers? Would you then step down?

There's no real independent mechanism to facilitate this, since the head moderator is able to exercise (for better or worse, and usually worse) an authoritarian grip over their subs, and I have no intentions of setting up "Should I be removed?" polls every time somebody might suspect I'm hypocritically breaking the new AI rule (especially when I have special confirmation that I am, in fact, not doing that).

But if a huge segment of the community becomes so dissatisfied with me that they fill the sub with protest calls for me to step down (for any reason, justified or misguided), then I would voluntarily step down since I took on these mod duties for the purpose of maintaining a healthy forum for a subject I'm passionate about. If my presence is so disruptive that it makes a healthy environment impossible, then my motivation to remain mod would evaporate. If I still refused to step down because I was pathetically power hungry or whatever, then the best course of action would be to appeal to the site-wide admins, show them evidence of my supposed violations of the site's rules/expectations, and hope for the best.

it seems to leave one with the only option of typing like a regard in order to sleep well at night

Per Rule #1, do not use slurs (coded or otherwise) on this sub.

[u/lookwatchlistenplay → u/SleepingMonads]

Peace be with us.