Online surveys are a cornerstone of scientific data collection, but this foundation is increasingly under threat. A study demonstrates that autonomous AI agents can generate high-quality, logically coherent, and human-like survey responses while successfully bypassing standard quality and attention checks. This challenges a core assumption of survey research and exposes a critical vulnerability in current data infrastructures. The findings highlight the urgent need for new data validation standards and a reassessment of reliance on online data collection methods.
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