We analysed the online hype around DeepSeek and found something unusual: thousands of fake accounts were amplifying the narrative of mass adoption.
This wasn’t just random spam — the accounts showed patterns typical of coordinated bot networks (synchronous posting, recycled avatars, and disproportionate engagement).
The result: investors and the market briefly reacted to a level of “traction” that wasn’t real.
I’m curious how others here think about this:
How can we distinguish genuine user adoption from manufactured buzz in an LLM/AI market that is moving this fast?
What tools or heuristics do you use to check the authenticity of online signals?
(Research details and case breakdown in the post.)
This wasn’t just random spam — the accounts showed patterns typical of coordinated bot networks (synchronous posting, recycled avatars, and disproportionate engagement).
The result: investors and the market briefly reacted to a level of “traction” that wasn’t real.
I’m curious how others here think about this:
How can we distinguish genuine user adoption from manufactured buzz in an LLM/AI market that is moving this fast?
What tools or heuristics do you use to check the authenticity of online signals?
(Research details and case breakdown in the post.)