When we investigated why AI detectors struggle to distinguish human-written content from AI-generated text, we came across a surprising trend: almost all online content seems to be marked as AI-generated. Could this mean that everything in the digital landscape reads as AI?
But why does it even matter whether the content is AI-generated or human-made? Simple: the widespread SEO belief that Google penalizes AI content, hurting its chances of ranking well. However, Google has clarified otherwise.
According to their blog, Google’s ranking systems prioritize original, high-quality content that meets their EEAT (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) standard.
Google’s position on AI content is nuanced. They specify that while AI can be part of the creative process, using automation solely to manipulate search results violates their spam policy.
Reddit, meanwhile, has a different approach.
What is AI Slop
AI slop, also known as “AI crap,” is essentially a stream of low-quality, non-human-generated content available online. The fear is that such content will increasingly infiltrate platforms like Google and fill search results with AI-generated text with no real human touch.
The threat is also catching up on Reddit, a platform often celebrated as a place for authentic, human connection, which could face challenges as AI-generated content spreads. According to Steve Huffman, CEO of Reddit, as the Internet sees a general decline in content quality, Reddit’s authentic, human-made content could help Reddit stand out as a trusted source and a crucial resource for AI training.
He noted that to address content usage, Reddit has created a public content policy in addition to its privacy policy, which sets guidelines for what happens to the data users share publicly.
Reddit’s strategy
Reddit’s CEO recently described the platform as a hub of “actual intelligence.” He said in an interview: “The source of artificial intelligence is actual intelligence and that’s what you find on Reddit.”
This view has remained with Reddit for a long time. In May, OpenAI partnered with Reddit to integrate its discussions into ChatGPT and related AI products.
This partnership enables OpenAI to tap into Reddit’s vast collection of community insights through the Data API, expanding ChatGPT’s ability to engage in a broader, more nuanced range of human conversations. The result? An AI with a deeper understanding of human interaction and more authentic conversation quality.
In turn, Reddit plans to leverage OpenAI’s technology to enrich its platform, introducing new tools for users and moderators that can increase community engagement and functionality.
Reddit’s collaboration with major AI players isn’t just limited to OpenAI. Earlier this year, Google also signed a data licensing deal with Reddit, reportedly costing $60 million per year, to access real-time content from Reddit’s active discussions and news feeds via its API.
But does this partnership mean Reddit is falling into the AI doldrums?
What’s next?
Google Search is redefining the online search landscape, as evidenced by a recent Search Engine Land study predicting a massive 18% to 64% drop in organic clicks as AI-driven search transforms results. This shift affects everything from featured snippets and knowledge panels to search ads, transactional and long-tail queries, reshaping the user journey and redefining search results.
Amid this transformation, Google is emphasizing content quality as a key to staying relevant, and is encouraging creators to focus on aligning with systems that reward valuable, accurate information. It’s important to note that mobile differences, website quality issues, accidental content changes, and technical SEO challenges can all negatively impact traffic.
Today, Google processes 5.9 million searches per minute, surpassing Bing’s 500 million monthly users and Reddit’s 73.1 million daily active users. Still, Bing and platforms like Perplexity AI and OpenAI are trying to narrow the gap with their own AI tools.
