Google is compensating some publishers for using its AI platform in rephrasing content from news sites flagged by Google for potential large-scale content appropriation. On Twitter, there is a notable expression of disapproval regarding this practice.
Google is remunerating small independent publishers to use a generative AI platform that focuses on summarizing and republishing the content of other news sources. As per a restricted access article on AdWeek, this tool is currently in beta testing, and participating publishers are required to publish a specified number of articles daily to qualify for payment.
Small publishers are using a tool that presents content selected by the AI, allowing them to generate content seemingly “at no cost.”
The New Tool Raises Concerns
While it’s standard practice for news outlets to report on stories broken by others, adding their unique perspective in the process, Google’s new tool could be problematic. Instead of the approach taken by journalists, it seems to mimic a technique known as article spinning, where content is effectively plagiarized in an automated way. This method typically involves feeding published content from various sources into a computer program, which then rewrites it by swapping words with synonyms. However, AI introduces a new level of sophistication to this process, capable of not just word substitution but also rephrasing entire sentences and paragraphs, albeit retaining the original content’s essence but expressed differently.
The issue lies in the fact that Google itself is experimenting with this tool, which raises concerns beyond its role as the primary gatekeeper of online content. The tool singles out specific news organizations, essentially marking them for their content to be rephrased by independent publishers.
On one hand, this might seem advantageous as it could potentially generate inbound links to the original publishers’ content. Free links appear beneficial for all parties involved, correct?
However, in reality, news publishers don’t substantially benefit from links to content with a brief shelf life, typically lasting around 48 hours at most. News dissemination operates on a relentless cycle aimed at keeping the business afloat. It’s an incessant process easily undermined by wholesale dilution of content.
Queries Regarding the Use of Generative AI for Content Creation
At the core of the issue with Google’s AI tool lies its tendency to devalue the effort put forth by organizations in creating “value-add” content through the use of professionals. Google often expresses a desire to promote such content, yet its AI tool undermines this effort. This renders Google’s tool hypocritical at best and cynical at worst.
The prospect of an army of publishers programmatically replicating every published news article paints a grim picture for the original publishers. This is especially concerning if their content becomes overshadowed by the parasitic AI within Google News, search results, and user preferences, favoring local online news publishers who simply republish news from larger sources.
Response to Google’s AI News Tool
Technology journalist Brian Merchant, known for his work in The Atlantic and as an author, shared a virtual thumbs down on Twitter, a sentiment echoed unanimously by others. His tweet:
“The nightmare begins — Google is incentivizing the production of AI-generated slop.
If you are a news outlet who has accepted this meager deal, and especially if you are publishing AI-generated articles without disclaimers, you should be deeply ashamed.”
Brian continued with another tweet, expressing his observation on the flaws of Google’s AI tool for small news sites:
“If we in the media have learned ANYTHING from the last 10 years it is that we do not in fact have to settle for whatever scraps big tech throws us, and in fact it will screw us in the end—why would you participate in automating your field out of existence for like $30k a year???”
Merchant retweeted a comment by technology journalist Alex Kantrow:
“This is sad. Is this the web Google wants?”
Another person tweeted:
“It’s all about unchecked and untaxed profit.
Of course this is what Google wants – corporations selling out their employees and Americans in general for a quick buck.”
An individual affiliated with Microsoft mentioned the concept of “autophagy,” where an organism starts consuming itself, similar to when it’s starving. She shared this insight in a tweet.
“The quality of news content will decline and hurt search. Autophagy is a real threat to information quality and it looks like no one is taking it seriously.”
This issue extends beyond the world of news—it affects anyone earning a livelihood through online content creation. What’s applicable to news publications can readily be applied to product reviews, recipes, entertainment, and virtually any topic covered by content affiliates.
Would you like to read more about “Google on AI Tool Designed To Find And Rewrite High-Quality Content” related articles? If so, we invite you to take a look at our other tech topics before you leave!
Use our Internet marketing service to help you rank on the first page of SERP.
