It is true that the internet has entered the era of AI-generated content. Powerful tools like ChatGPT have drastically altered the landscape of search engine optimization (SEO). The AI tools can produce content faster. The content creation is far less costly than human writers.
It is important to note that the AI-generated content is of low quality. It is not benefiting everyday internet users. Amid such scenario, some entrepreneurs see it as an opportunity to make money. They are repurposing existing content through AI algorithms. Jake Ward, founder of the UK-based SEO content marketing agency Content Growth, talked about it through a social media post. His strategy is to steal the sitemap of competitors and generate 1,800-word articles. He claims to have drawn significant traffic from the competitor.
Many criticized his approach and one user questioned the ethics of pumping out low-quality content. Another pointed out the importance of creating genuinely good and useful content.
Serious ethical questions have been raised as the line between creativity and plagiarism is now blurred by repurposing content through AI. The legal system has yet to catch up. It is difficult to prove that AI has been used inappropriately. Even, the AI detectors are struggling to distinguish between human-written and AI-generated text. The issue is further complicated.
Even OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, admitted that currently available detecting tools are inadequate. Hence, unethical use of AI is today hard to police.
Ward’s AI tool is named Byword and it is built on OpenAI’s GPT-4 version. It offers features which can evade AI detection. He has advertised the tool openly on his website. The price tag for various versions of Byword ranges from $5 per article to $2,499 a month for unlimited articles.
