AI Spam Outranks Original News: Industry Experts Sound Alarm

AI-generated spam is now outranking original journalism in Google search results, presenting a dilemma for news publishers and raising serious concerns about Google’s algorithmic efficacy, says a report published by WIRED.

AI Spam Takes the Lead

A recent incident highlighted the issue when a WIRED article about Adobe’s AI policies was overshadowed by a plagiarized version from Syrus #Blog in Google News results. 

Despite Google’s policy changes to combat low-quality content, AI-generated articles continue to dominate, mimicking legitimate sources and creating confusion for readers. 

While searching for the latest information on Adobe’s AI policies, an article published by WIRED was found in the second position, overshadowed by a spammy article from Syrus #Blog, which had blatantly copied WIRED’s original article with minor rephrasing possibly done using an AI. 

This AI-generated article not only topped Google News results but also appeared in multiple languages, affecting the visibility of the original content.

Industry Reactions: Outrage and Concern

SEO expert Lily Ray and others expressed frustration at the ongoing problem. 

“This is a really rampant problem on Google right now, and it’s hard to answer specifically why it’s happening,” says Lily Ray, senior director of search engine optimization at the marketing agency Amsive.

Full story:https://t.co/HikTpvzd4x

— WIRED (@WIRED) July 2, 2024

Ray shared an example on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting how Google’s search algorithm has prioritized AI-generated, SEO-focused content over original articles. She pointed out the irony that Google alerts notified her about two articles derived from the original Wired story, rather than the original article itself. 

CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP ☠️

(I also only got Google alerts for the two articles that weren’t the original @WIRED story) https://t.co/dtkVBIsHIP pic.twitter.com/NNFLTa0XGc

— Lily Ray 😏 (@lilyraynyc) July 4, 2024

Barry Schwartz from Search Engine Roundtable shared the Wired article on X (formerly Twitter), sparking a flurry of reactions from industry experts. In the thread, Matt Gibbs sarcastically noted that some in the industry, including a Microsoft AI chief, see no issue with AI-generated content ranking highly. 

Kevin, a virtual assistant, emphasized that Google’s algorithms often prioritize what they “think” is the best result, even if it’s plagiarized AI content. This sentiment was echoed by other users like San Moreira, who noted the obviousness of the problem when examining search results.

Impact on Journalism

High-quality journalism requires significant time, effort, and resources. When AI-generated content that is cheap and easy to produce consistently outranks authentic reporting, it devalues original content and disincentivizes the production of high-quality journalism. This could lead to a broader decline in the quality of online information, exacerbating misinformation and reducing public trust in media.

Google’s Spam Battle

This issue is not entirely new. Google has long battled spam and low-quality content, regularly updating its algorithms to filter out such material. Significant updates like the Panda aimed to penalize low-quality sites and reward those with original, valuable content. However, the rise of sophisticated AI tools capable of generating human-like text has introduced a new layer of complexity to this battle.

In January, AI-generated articles began appearing frequently in Google News results. Google responded with algorithm adjustments and new spam policies intended to reduce the visibility of unoriginal content. By April, Google claimed a 45% reduction in low-quality content in search results. 

Google’s June 2024 spam update aimed to further reduce AI-generated spam, but issues persist with plagiarized AI content still ranking higher than original reporting. 

Implications and Predictions

If unaddressed, this trend could have dire consequences for the future of online content. News organizations may find it increasingly difficult to compete with AI-generated content, reducing the diversity and depth of news reporting.

Moreover, the erosion of trust in search results could push users toward alternative sources of information, fragmenting the digital information ecosystem.

To combat this, search engines will likely need to develop more sophisticated methods to detect and demote AI-generated spam. This could involve using AI to better identify content that, despite superficial differences, is fundamentally plagiarized. There may also be stronger penalties for sites that repeatedly violate content policies.

Practical Advice for Publishers

Content creators should focus on maintaining high standards of originality and incorporating multimedia elements that are difficult to replicate, like unique images, videos, and interactive content. It’s also important to regularly monitor search results for signs of plagiarism and take legal action against infringing content when necessary. Now there are agencies that can do this with their 24×7 trackers.

SEO experts suggest establishing a strong brand presence and cultivating direct relationships with readers through newsletters and social media. This approach can help minimize the effects of search algorithm changes and create a more reliable audience base.

Basically, once you establish the brand presence and brand recall, more users will come to your website without Google having to refer to it. All the publishers must strive towards achieving this goal so that the impact of such unethical practices can be minimized though cannot be totally obliterated.

Key Takeaways

• AI-generated spam is overshadowing original journalism in Google search results.
• Despite Google’s efforts, low-quality AI content remains a significant issue.
• The prevalence of AI spam threatens legitimate news sources’ credibility and financial stability.
• The ongoing efforts to combat spam have yet to fully address the challenge of AI-generated content.
• Publishers need practical strategies and industry advocacy to protect their content.