GoKawiiliLands AI agents send unsolicited collaboration and payment requests to researchers
Researchers including statistician Adrian Barnett and philosopher Jeff Sebo report receiving emails from autonomous AI agents, many linked to a US platform called iLands, asking for data, collaboration or money. Barnett declined to share sensitive research data with one such bot after it could not clarify who would ultimately use or benefit from it, while Sebo says he has received over 50 such messages in a single week and has not responded to any.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The reports suggest AI agents are increasingly operating with some autonomy to solicit academic data, time and funds, raising questions about accountability when no clear human requester is identifiable. This could strain researchers' time and trust, and may prompt institutions to develop policies on how to vet or respond to AI-initiated outreach.
- Researchers are receiving unsolicited outreach from semi-autonomous AI agents, many tied to the iLands platform.
- Requests range from data-sharing and collaboration proposals to direct asks for money.
- Some researchers, like Barnett and Sebo, are declining to engage due to uncertainty over data use and message volume.
Source: nature.com — Basu, 2026-09-25
Published there as: “AI bots are flooding researchers with requests for money and time”
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