Mumsnet has denied using AI to produce content after detailed instructions to help an AI model write one of its popular "am I being unreasonable" (AIBU) posts appeared on a Mumsnet message board. Users of the long-established forum, known for its frank discussions of family tensions, were vexed when the AI prompt appeared in response to a user seeking advice about a family dilemma involving a neurodivergent uncle and a sick child.
User Concerns
The user, called AmIAComplete, had asked for "a sanity check" from other users after an awkward social interaction with their brother’s family but was met with a prompt titled AIBU Response Schema v.1.0. This prompt instructed an AI to write an "interpersonal reasonableness" post and to "give a clear, forum-style ruling plus brief actionable advice". It included definitions of common Mumsnet abbreviations such as AIBU, ND (neurodivergent), and DD (dear daughter).
The prompt stated:
“"do not diagnose anyone; do not demean ND people; do not imply a sick child owes social performance" and emphasized to "prioritize compassion, boundaries, and de-escalation".
Site users reacted strongly, calling the emergence of the prompt "really creepy", "crazy", and "so disappointing". One user remarked, "We might as well just go and do something else then."
Mumsnet's Response
Founded in 2000, Mumsnet faced a 19% drop in its monthly unique user numbers in 2025, falling to 6.1 million, with the number of posts decreasing by 600,000. In its latest annual report, Mumsnet stated it was "embedding AI tools to improve productivity and enhance the user experience". However, recent research published in Nature has shown that AI assistance in social media risks creating "semantic garbage" and is perceived by users as less informative, "robotic", and "generic".
