'Our assumptions are broken': how fraudulent church data revealed AI's threat to polling

[muriel_volestrangler]

Based on data collected by a YouGov survey, it claimed church attendance was increasing in England and Wales. The findings drove headlines, and the narrative was established.

There was just one problem – the survey turned out to be based on “fraudulent” data and has been withdrawn. And academics and experts are warning that this episode should serve as a parable, not about a renaissance in religion, but of the false prophets of artificial intelligence.

Researchers have said online opt-in surveys are becoming increasingly infested with bogus data as respondents who are often paid for their participation use AI to fill in questionnaires at speed.

These particular surveys are self-selecting research forms that can shape national discourse. But a major fault, experts say, is that they are susceptible to “survey farmers”, and this vulnerability means the results should be treated with caution when trying to understand social trends.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/28/how-fraudulent-church-data-revealed-ais-threat-to-polling

The background to this was a 2024 poll that claimed church attendance in England and Wales was rising fast, especially among young people. But this didn't seem true, when compared to the figures churches themselves were collecting at church. It may have just been people completing the poll by hand, but quickly, or it may have been a relatively early use (by the public) of AI to automate it.

But it does threaten the model of a "poll panel" - register to be polled on any subject, and every so often, you get some kind of reward (I did it myself a few years ago, but found it tedious - it was mostly "have you heard of these companies? Do you think they have a good reputation for their products? Would you recommend them to buy, or to work for?" I stopped doing it much, and they stopped asking me to). If you can produce a bot to give consistent answers, you look like a real person replying, but are just relaying some other algorithm on "how to look believable".

[leftstreet]

1. DURec