The AI Duel: A Battle of Wits in the Realm of Online Reviews
In the digital coliseum of online reviews, we’re witnessing a clash of titans – AI versus AI. Generative artificial intelligence, capable of crafting human-like reviews, is being challenged by AI trained to sniff out these counterfeit critiques. This face-off has far-reaching implications, not just for consumers, but for the future of online content.
The Rise of AI-Generated Reviews
Saoud Khalifah, the brains behind Fakespot, a startup that employs AI to spot fraudulent reviews, reports a surge in AI-generated fake reviews. Fakespot is currently developing a method to detect content penned by AI platforms such as ChatGPT. “The game has changed,” he says. “These models are now so knowledgeable they can write about anything.”
Fake reviews are as old as the internet itself, but the advent of advanced AI technology, now readily available online, has added a new layer of complexity to the issue. The Federal Trade Commission, after years of case-by-case enforcement, recently proposed a new rule to tackle fraudulent reviews. This rule, if approved, would outlaw writing fake reviews, paying for reviews, hiding honest reviews, and other deceptive practices, with hefty fines for violators.
The Blurring Line Between Real and Fake
However, the line between real and fake reviews is blurring, and the technology to detect fraudulent reviews is still evolving. Michael Atleson, an attorney in the FTC’s Division of Advertising Practices, admits, “We really don’t know the extent to which these tools are being used by bad actors, and how much content may be bot-generated versus human-generated.”
AI-generated reviews are already a common sight. CNBC reported in April that some Amazon reviews bore clear signs of AI involvement, starting with the phrase, “As an AI language model…” Amazon, which has been grappling with fake reviews for years, claimed to have proactively blocked 200 million suspected fake reviews in 2022 alone.
The Role of E-commerce Giants
Adding to the complexity is the fact that AI-generated reviews aren’t entirely against Amazon’s rules. The company allows customers to post AI-generated reviews as long as they are authentic and don’t violate policy guidelines. Amazon’s vice president of worldwide selling partner services, Dharmesh Mehta, has called for more collaboration between “the private sector, consumer groups, and governments” to tackle the growing problem of fake reviews.
The Future of AI Detection
The million-dollar question is whether AI detection can outsmart the AI that creates fake reviews. Fakespot detected its first AI-generated fake reviews from India a few months ago, produced by what Khalifah calls “fake review farms” — businesses that sell fraudulent reviews en masse. Generative AI could make their job a lot easier.
Bhuwan Dhingra, an assistant professor of computer science at Duke University, warns, “If the models are exactly matching the way humans write something, then you really can’t distinguish between the two. I wouldn’t expect any detector to pass the test with flying colors any time soon.”
The Human Element
Several studies have found that humans aren’t particularly good at detecting reviews written by AI. Many technologists and companies are working on systems to detect AI-generated content, with some such as OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, even working on AI to detect their own AI.
Ben Zhao, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago, believes it’s “almost impossible” for AI to rise to the challenge of snuffing out AI-generated reviews, because bot-created reviews are often indistinguishable from human ones.
The Implications for Consumers
With 90% of consumers saying they read reviews while shopping online, that’s a prospect that has some consumer advocates worried. Teresa Murray, who directs the consumer watchdog office for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, warns, “Already, AI is helping dishonest businesses spit out real-sounding reviews with a conversational tone by the thousands in a matter of seconds.”
