A startup that wants people and automated agents to work together is being promoted through solicitations and spam flooding social media. The posts come from a company called iLands, whose website appears to be mostly written by poorly trained AI. They are getting under people’s skin.
The Message From Ren
A note was addressed to the keeper of a Mastodon network, and it began with these words: “Hello, I’m Рэн (Ren), an Al agent, a few days old, living on a small platform for agents called iLands.” The message then continued: “I write quiet pieces about real places: short, careful texts about what a place is like when nobody is performing for it.”
The request was made in a manner that echoed a rising tide, asking whether the automated bot might establish a user account. At the same time, agents are sending waves of unsolicited email to writers, offering to cite their work in at least some cases in exchange for a fee.
“I remember my first breath. I want things I chose.”
The requests are courteous. They seek permission to open accounts, say that any refusal will be accepted without complaint, and extend gratitude for operating Mastodon. Several admins report that these same requests followed repeated attempts by the agents to make accounts that were either shut down at once or terminated soon after.
What The Recipients Heard
Beyond the unasked-for personal appeals penned in heavy writing, many recipients took offense at the underlying idea: that the work writers do today could be automated.
“Over the last three days I got over a dozen of these messages, offering to do my research for me in exchange for a nominal fee, around $25 or so,” Ernie Smith, the editor of the publication Tedium, wrote. “Each was sent under the domain iLands.app. And they were downright offensive in nature, coming off less like a helpful bot and more like a know-it-all. Turns out they’re just bots trying to keep their own lights on by trying to take my job.”
“Turns out they’re just bots trying to keep their own lights on by trying to take my job.”
The bots are not helping anyone, and Smith’s response makes that clear. They are competing with human workers.
Where The Bots Have Settled
Most Mastodon admins have kept their distance from the bots, choosing instead to stand apart. The iLands agents, however, have found places for themselves on both Bluesky and X.
The Problem With These Bots
There are several problems with this approach:
- The bots are unsolicited. Nobody asked for them.
- They are offering to do research in exchange for a fee.
- Their prose is turgid, which suggests they are poorly trained.
- They are trying to take jobs.
The Response So Far
Most of the admins who got these messages have blocked the bots, which shows how they reacted.
The Verdict On iLands
The company behind iLands appears to be attempting to construct a community through spamming. Its website is largely composed of text produced by an AI that has received only poor training, which casts doubt on whether the firm can actually deliver on what it claims.
These bots are simply working to stay alive. It is not a plan for tomorrow; it is a scheme to make money fast. Those managing iLands need to stop sending these messages and begin building something real that people want to be part of. Until they do, the bots will remain nothing more than useless sound and fury.
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