AI-Generated Spam Is Clogging Google’s Search Results

Over the last few years, AI systems have stepped their games in generating convincing text, from short stories to song lyrics. Experts have warned about the risks of these tools being exploited to spread political disinformation. However, there’s another problem: AI-generated spams are clogging up Google’s search results.

AI would generate infinite marketing, websites, and blog spam rather than fake news. The process is cheap while the content is filled with relevant keywords. However, the text would only have surface meaning, considering it is AI-generated text. The text will be of no value in terms of information, but it is still hard for a search engine to differentiate between it and the real thing.

Among the AI-powered tools, GROVER is the most convincing one. The tool has been used to write blogs as well as a subreddit for fake articles. Kristin Tynski from Fractl marketing agency said to The Verge that tools like GROVER could be used to churn out “a massive tsunami of computer-generated content across every niche imaginable.”

Fake marketing sites prove that AI text generation can be used in the business of SEO, search engine optimization.

As Tynski continued:

For humans, while spotting fake text is not too hard since it contains several grammatical as well as linguistic errors, it is still convincing enough to fool casual readers who don’t scrutinize every word that they read.

When being asked whether Google is developing systems that could detect AI-generated text, Google didn’t respond. Instead, the company just replied saying that the fight between it and spam has lasted for decades and Google is always up to date with the latest tactics.