Frequently asked questions
How Who Is a Bot? works, and what it keeps.
How does Who Is a Bot? work?
Every day there's one round. Three suspects have answered the same eight questions: two real people and one AI told to blend in. You pick up to four questions, see all three answers to each, then accuse one. Fewer questions is a better score.
Is it free?
Yes. There is nothing to buy and nothing to download.
Do I need an account?
No. Your games and streak are kept in your browser under a random ID. Signing in with Google is optional: it keeps your streak across devices and lets us email you how your answers did.
Who are the human suspects?
Players who chose to be a suspect and answered a set of questions on another day. We read every set before it's used (see the rules for suspects), and nothing about who wrote it is ever shown.
Which AI plays the bot?
A current OpenAI model, given a short brief to answer like an ordinary person typing on a phone, plus a few real players' answers to other questions as examples of how people write here.
Why only one round a day?
So everyone plays the same round and can compare, like Wordle. It also gives the human suspects time to be played before their results are emailed.
Why can I only ask four questions?
Because choosing questions is the skill. With all eight answers you'd just read; with four you have to pick the ones most likely to make the bot slip.
How do I get better?
After each round you see every answer, with the bot outlined. Check which question would have exposed it fastest. The guide to questions that catch an AI has the patterns.
What happens after I write answers as a suspect?
Once we've approved them they go into a future round next to the bot. If you're signed in, we email you the day after: how many played, how many accused you, and what they asked.
Can kids play?
The game is for ages 13 and up, because the human answers are written by other players.
How do I stop the emails?
Use the unsubscribe link in any email, or the switch on your account card after a round.
How do I report an answer?
Email [email protected] with the round number and the suspect's letter, and we'll take it out of future rounds. See the rules for suspects.
How do I delete my data?
Clearing this site's data in your browser starts you over with a new ID. To delete a signed-in account, its games and any answers you wrote, email [email protected] from the address you signed in with.