[Animats]

If someone sets up an AI that reads site traffic metrics and keeps trying things to increase conversion rate, something like that will happen. If someone isn't doing that already, someone will be, this year.

[gaigalas]

Dude, recommendation algorithms have been running like this for almost a decade now.

[array_key_first]

Right, but the recommendation algorithm is very contained. The YouTube recommendation algorithm doesn't write code to modify YouTube to up whatever metrics it has.

[Animats]

Of course, but now you can put the process on autopilot and let the AI keep putting dark patterns into the site by itself.