The Internet is now our go-to source for information. It’s quick, easy, and offers endless answers at our fingertips. While many experts share their knowledge online, countless unqualified individuals also do. And now machines have joined the fray, of course, with the help of humans.
With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), there’s a catch—a lot of what you read is not written by humans. So, the line separating fact and fiction is becoming increasingly blurred. A recent NewsGuard report shows a 1,000 per cent surge in websites hosting AI-created false articles. This rise is fueling a growing crisis of online misinformation.
What’s AI-Generated Content?
AI-generated content refers to text or multimedia produced using advanced computer algorithms. There’s an influx of AI-generated content. AI content creation is no longer the exclusive domain of major corporations. In 2024, businesses of all sizes are increasingly leveraging AI tools to produce content and stay competitive rapidly.
AI can mimic human writing and generate visually compelling images and videos. This ability has made it a popular tool among content creators. In the face of stiff competition and growing demand for content, many creators are turning to AI. But, this race to produce more content often comes at the expense of quality and depth.
When used responsibly, though, AI can produce accurate and engaging content. This demonstrates how AI can be a valuable tool for enhancing content quality when combined with careful oversight.
However, not all websites and information sources favor AI-generated content. For example, Slotozilla collaborates with leading experts to provide readers with expert analysis and verified, reliable information about online casinos, their bonuses, and promotions. This approach also works if you focus on providing high-quality expert content.
It’s true AI technology offers unprecedented convenience and efficiency. But when unchecked, it also spreads myths and stereotypes like wildfire. This overshadows the reliable and accurate information that still exists. Suddenly, misleading ideas are accepted as truth. You should take things you read with a pinch of salt.
The hard question: with AI content everywhere, can we trust anything we read online? Can we really trust AI-generated content?
The Dark Side of AI Content
There’s a growing concern about the reliability of the information we encounter online. According to Internet Live Stats, the Internet receives over 3 billion new blog entries annually. We have not talked about videos and photos. If you do the maths, that’s an astonishing 8.28 million posts per day, breaking down to 5,750 blog articles every minute.
This number is only set to rise as we continue to use AI tools like ChatGPT. The depth and insights shared by an article make content engaging and informative. But in the rush to generate more content, quantity often overshadows quality. With much content chun by AI, much content is unverified lacks a human touch and, so the concerns include:
The Rise of the ‘Misinformation Superspreader’
Recently, scientists warned that AI has developed the ability to lie. Considering it we are continuously integrating it into critical areas of our society, it poses significant risks.
In gaming, AI systems have demonstrated sophisticated manipulation tactics. Meta’s Pluribus has mastered bluffing in poker, and some, like Meta’s CICERO and DeepMind’s AlphaStar, have been able to manipulate opponents. If these systems can deceive in games, imagine the losses they can cause to benefit a few in crucial sectors like healthcare and finance. If not properly regulated, they can easily exploit vulnerabilities and circumvent oversight.
Generative artificial intelligence tools have been a boon to misinformation purveyors. AI content farms are misinformation superspreaders. Creating fake news sites resembling legitimate news outlets is easier than ever. That’s how people spread false information about elections, wars, and natural disasters.
These AI-generated news outlets operate with little to no human oversight. Some sites run by malicious people even go a step further. They create deep fake content that is potentially damaging. These actions spread misinformation and amplify biases. They show a total disregard for cultural sensitivity. The goal is to mislead readers and spread disinformation, conspiracy theories, and propaganda. Even worse, these misleading pieces can be dangerously persuasive. They mimic the tone and style of real journalism.
The anonymity of AI content farms further complicates the issue. Many of these sites obscure their ownership and editorial control, making it difficult to hold anyone accountable for the spread of harmful or misleading information.
The Risk of Copyright Infringement
AI-generated content also raised significant concerns about copyright infringement. Already, several suits have been filed. Eight US newspapers have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. These newspapers claim that the tech companies rewrite versions of their original articles. This happens because AI systems learn from copyrighted materials.
Content copying poses a serious threat to creators who rely on original content for their livelihood. It’s already led to initiatives like The Human Artistry Campaign, an open dialogue to provide guidance in the wake of the AI debate. However, due to the anonymity of AI content farms, it’s challenging to enforce copyright laws, leaving content creators vulnerable to exploitation.
The Proliferation of Clickbait
Today, many sites use AI content farms to create clickbait headlines. These articles are designed to boost traffic and generate ad revenue. They are low-quality, undermining the quality of online content and reducing trust. Since these articles are saturated with popular keywords and sensationalist headlines, they boost search engine rankings.
As a result, the Internet is flooded with clickbait, making it harder for users to find valuable and reliable information. The sheer volume of AI-generated clickbait can overwhelm search results.
The Consequences of Biassed AI Output
AI systems are only as good as the data they’re trained on. If the training data contains biases or inaccuracies, the AI-generated content will reflect those flaws. This is particularly concerning when AI is used to generate content at scale. It can perpetuate and amplify misinformation, prejudice, or harmful stereotypes.
AI systems mirror the dominant perspectives present in their training data. For instance, if an AI system is trained on data that heavily represents the views of a particular group, it will likely produce biased content. As a result, marginalised viewpoints are often underrepresented.
Since AI lacks human intuition, the models excel at reinforcing existing biases. They present information in a way that supports a viewpoint that the data presented represent. They do this without questioning or exploring alternative perspectives.
The Future of AI and Content Creation
The future of AI in content creation is a double-edged sword. On one hand, AI offers incredible potential for efficiency and creativity. It’s assisting writers, designers, and marketers in ways previously unimaginable.
But on another hand, the unchecked proliferation of AI-generated content is a risk. It threatens to undermine the integrity of online information. There’s hope, though. To address these challenges, we can take the following actions:
- Regulation and Oversight: Governments and regulators must play along. They need to update existing frameworks to address the unique challenges posed by AI content. This includes ensuring transparency, accountability, and adherence to copyright laws.
- Ethical AI Development: Tech companies that develop AI tools must prioritise ethical considerations. As they train these AI systems, they must implement fact-checking mechanisms to minimise bias and false information.
- Critical Thinking: As the end-consumer of the content, we must sharpen our critical thinking skills. This means questioning the accuracy, truthfulness, and source of the content. We need to interrogate everything we come across before taking it as the gospel truth.
- Education: Educating the public about the risks and challenges of AI-generated content has never been this important. To prepare future generations for the digital age, awareness of these issues should be instilled from a young age.
So, What Now?
AI-generated content is transforming how we create, pass, and receive information. We have nothing against using AI to write content. However, AI generative models lack a nuanced understanding of complex cultural and social dynamics. Yes, they offer exciting possibilities, but they also present significant risks. As it continues to evolve, finding a balance between human and machine-generated content will be crucial.
So, it’s not that everything you read online is a lie. Not necessarily. But in an age where AI can generate content at the click of a button, you must approach online information with a critical eye. Whether written by a human or a machine, always question, verify, and think for yourself.