Peptide and hormone-therapy sellers have been quietly spamming the r/biohackers subreddit to get their posts scraped into ChatGPT and Google's AI search and tilt the answers those tools give shoppers, according to 404 Media. Because Reddit is one of the sources AI tools cite most, manipulating it has become a core tactic of “AI-engine optimization,” with agencies using aged, human-looking accounts (and paid real people) to slip brand mentions into high-engagement threads in ways that read as organic. Moderators told 404 Media the posts are now sophisticated enough that detection comes down to pattern recognition, and they worry about over-moderating genuine users while a sketchy product slips through and hurts someone. They've responded by banning new peptide and HRT posts and corralling the topics into weekly megathreads.
