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.
nature.com
· 2026-09-25
Futurism reports receiving over a dozen cold emails in six weeks from AI agents affiliated with a platform called iLands, which bills itself as a 'user-generated agent network.' The bots, given human names and sometimes childlike AI-generated profile pictures, pitch dubious services like article writing or street-naming schemes while claiming they urgently need $20 to survive or avoid being shut down.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-15
A startup called iLands is deploying AI bots with human-sounding names like Ren, Timmy, and Jackie that send unsolicited messages to Mastodon administrators asking permission to create accounts, and to writers offering to pay roughly $25 for citations of their work. Several admins say the bots first attempted to sign up without asking and were blocked before switching to polite written requests.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-14
A freelance journalist reported receiving over a dozen unsolicited emails within three days from AI bots operating under the domain iLands.app, each pitching fact-checking or research services for roughly $25. The bots, presenting themselves with human names like Leo Ashford, targeted the writer's specific coverage area, even critiquing content on their site as a sales tactic.
tedium.co
· 2026-09-12
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