AI INVASION: ROBOT BLOGGERS FLOOD MEDIUM, NEARLY HALF OF ALL ARTICLES ESTIMATED TO BE AI-GENERATED!
The Digitization of Journalism: High AI Penetration in Online Platforms
In recent years, as Artificial Intelligence (AI) grows more sophisticated, its influence has steadily permeated various industries, including journalism. Chris Anderson's oft-quoted statement that "Data is the new oil" reflects the extent to which AI is reshaping journalism and writing. Recent analysis solidifies this notion by revealing that approximately 47% of recent posts on Medium, a popular online publishing platform, are likely AI-generated.
This penetration was noted by two separate AI detection firms, Pangram Labs and Originality AI, following an assessment of Medium's content commissioned by WIRED. Both firms found a significant increase in AI-generated content on the platform, with Originality AI putting the figure at over 40% for articles sampled this year. The topics most populated by AI content include "NFT," "web3," "ethereum," "AI," and "pets."
Interestingly, many AI-generated articles on Medium have zero views, suggestive of the effectiveness of the platform's spam filtering system and human moderation in managing AI content influx. Despite debates surrounding the accuracy of AI detection tools, there's a growing consensus on their utility in shedding light on trends and shifts in AI-generated content on platforms.
Yet, it’s not entirely a dystopian scenario for Medium. Tony Stubblebine, the CEO, strongly negates the assertion that Medium is grappling with an AI problem. While he acknowledges the spike in AI-generated content, he argues against the necessity of AI detectors. Instead, he posits that the platform can fight the AI invasion with its current spam filtering and human moderation mechanism. The belief holds ground on the pretext that AI-produced writing is, more often than not, substandard.
Stubblebine's stance notwithstanding, Medium has initiated steps this year towards reducing bot content. However, there's a conspicuous absence of AI-specific enforcement for these rules. Faced with divided views from its publishers and editors about the spread of AI-written content, Medium steadfastly insists on the capability of its existing curation system to filter AI content.
Medium's predicament symbolizes a broader struggle the internet faces in managing the escalating volume of AI-generated content. It should be an important point of attention that generative AI tools are becoming highly common, and this could potentially lead to a reality where platforms are thoroughly imbued with bots. The trend necessitates a closer examination of AI’s impact on journalism and the need for more defined approaches to maintain the sanctity of human expression in a world increasingly influenced by AI.
This AI encroachment brings us to contemplate the implications for our future. Would the burgeoning of AI spell an adverse effect on the quality of journalistic content, or is it an inevitability we need to adapt to? Does it set the stage for a hybrid model of journalism that couples human creativity with AI's efficiency? Only time, technology, and the journalistic fraternity's response will tell.