Throughout my career as a content creator, I’ve focused on making information clear and engaging. It’s kind of my job to get the message across. However, we’re in a totally different situation: artificial intelligence doesn’t just help us find content; it makes it.
I’m positive that you’ve come across numerous blog posts, videos, news articles, and social media updates created with AI. By making this switch, we’ll be able to produce more content and be more efficient. But it also creates new problems. With all the content AI creates, it’s no longer just a good idea to know how to understand and evaluate it. This is a must.
So, let’s talk about the challenges of AI-created content, why this is important, and what skills you need to consume content smartly today.
The Rise of AI-Generated Content
Artificial intelligence isn’t a future trend; it’s happening right now. We’re creating huge amounts of content online with tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other programs.
There are lots of ways businesses use AI: writing blog posts, creating product descriptions, answering customer questions, and even creating internal reports. Influencers edit photos, write captions, and plan out videos using AI. Even news organizations are using AI for things like summarizing stories, translating text, and writing first drafts.
The good thing about this is that anyone can make content. It’s also easier for small teams or even single creators to make a lot fast. But it also means there’s a flood of information. Depending on how accurate, how deep, and how original it is, this information varies wildly.
The Challenge: Too Much Content, Not Enough Checking
It’s not so much that AI makes content that’s the problem. It’s that AI makes so much content. There was already a lot of information on the internet. It’s overflowing now. With AI, thousands of articles, social media posts, or videos can be generated in a matter of seconds. As a result, content quantity often becomes more important than content quality.
Because of the huge volume, it is very difficult to figure out what is important:
- Who made this content? Do you think it was a person or heavily influenced by AI?
- What is the real source of the information? Do you think it’s from an expert or just something that is pulled from random online websites by an AI?
- Was this information checked for facts? Has a human verified its accuracy?
- Was the content written with real thought and purpose, or was it just generated quickly to get clicks?
AI doesn’t have beliefs, ethics, or a sense of responsibility. As a reader or viewer, you are responsible for deciding what to believe.
The Problem of Bias and Wrong Information
In order to learn from the internet’s vast amount of content, AI systems look at vast amounts of existing content. In other words, they can pick up and make worse any human biases, stereotypes, or incorrect facts found in the original content. Despite being trained well, AI models can still contain subtle traces of certain viewpoints or missing information.
For example:
- Occasionally, an AI may use information that is outdated or from only one region when giving medical advice.
- Depending on the news sources used to train AI, political comments could lean one way or the other.
- AI-designed historical summaries may not incorporate different cultural viewpoints or use old-fashioned language.
Because AI-generated content is created by a machine, this might lead people to believe it is neutral or “smart.” In reality, it can still have the same human flaws as traditional content, just harder to detect.
Figuring Out Who Made It: Human, AI, or Both?
Often, content is not clearly labeled today. In some cases, articles are entirely written by artificial intelligence. Some are written by a person, but AI helps with ideas or edits. But, usually, it’s common for content to be a mix. In most apps and websites, you can’t see how the content was generated.
It begs the question: How can we tell if something is written by a human or a machine?
In the past, there were some signs that content was generated or assisted by AI:
- Repetition. In order to make content longer, AI often repeats phrases or ideas more than necessary.
- Generic language. There might not be enough specific details, unique insights, or a clear personality in the writing.
- Too many transition words. A lot of phrases are used, such as “in conclusion,” “on the other hand,” and “to conclude.”
- Uneven tone. The writing style or voice can change suddenly.
In recent years, however, these signs have become less frequent as AI has improved. AI systems are now capable of mimicking humor, unique personalities, and even human quirks. In other words, you can’t just rely on instinct. To evaluate content, you need specific skills.
Key Skills for Today’s Content Consumer
Our ability to interact with content must improve in a world filled with AI-created media. Today’s readers, viewers, and listeners need the following skills:
- Source awareness. Always ask: Where did this info come from? It doesn’t matter how well the content is written, the source has to be reliable. Be extra careful with content from unknown or unverified sites. Look for the original source of viral claims or pictures with tools like browser extensions or reverse image searches.
- Critical thinking. Don’t just believe what you read. Dig deeper. Ask questions about the ideas. Is there anything missing from the story? Is there another viewpoint that’s not shown? You might be able to tell if something was created by a machine if it seems too perfect or too neutral.
- Cross-referencing. If you’re unsure about a statistic, a quote, or any important claim, check it out. I think this is important for topics like health, money, and politics. If you don’t believe something, look for other evidence. It’s more likely to be true if multiple sources confirm it.
- Understanding AI limitations. Get a basic understanding of how AI models work. By understanding that AI learns from existing information rather than “thinking” or “knowing” like humans, you’ll be able to better understand its content. Based on patterns, AI predicts what will happen next without using reason. It generates what sounds plausible, not what is true.
- Spotting manipulation. In many cases, AI is used to create content that aims to grab the attention of the viewer or evoke strong emotional reactions. It can be used to create “clickbait,” exaggerate feelings, or promote extreme views. If you feel something is designed to make you angry or agree without thinking, take a moment to pause. After all, emotional content thrives on manipulation. So, think about why the content was created that way instead of getting carried away without understanding why it was created that way.
The Ethical Question: Should AI-Generated Content Be Labeled?
As AI develops, transparency becomes increasingly important. In the same way that ads and sponsored posts are clearly marked, some people believe all AI-generated content should be. By doing so, they believe people will be able to better understand what they are consuming. Others believe that such labels can’t be enforced everywhere and could cause more confusion than clarity.
Whatever the outcome, you, as a consumer, need to take greater responsibility. As long as no clear rules are in place, it’s up to each of us to check facts, organize content, and protect ourselves from falsehoods.
What Comes Next?
In the age of AI-generated content, it’s not a trend; it’s the new norm. It does not mean, however, that we are helpless. As a matter of fact, we need more judgment, ethical thinking, and curiosity than ever before.
- In addition to teaching students how to write, educators must also teach them how to analyze what they read.
- Information sources will need to be more open, and journalists will need to adjust their methods.
- In the face of a flood of content generated by algorithms, online platforms must think about how to present high-quality, trustworthy content.
Individually, we must make digital literacy a habit. This isn’t just a subject for school or something to worry about occasionally.
Conclusion: Be a Smart Consumer
AI is a tool. As a whole, it’s not good or bad. To avoid wrong information, manipulation, and bias, we must be informed, ask questions, and be thoughtful when using this tool.
There is no need to become a computer programmer or a data scientist. But you need to improve your ability to ask questions, analyze information, and understand context. Knowing how to understand media isn’t just useful in the age of artificial intelligence. For a safe and effective digital life, it’s essential.