The rise of AI-written content is becoming increasingly prevalent in various online platforms, including books, news articles, and product reviews. This trend is facilitated by the development of language software such as ChatGPT, which allows for the rapid generation of content on almost any topic. While some companies openly disclose their use of AI tools, others conceal it due to a perceived stigma. The widespread availability of AI tools has led to a surge in cheap and low-quality content, creating a deluge of AI-written websites that may not be grounded in reality. This raises concerns about the potential for misinformation and manipulation, as well as the loss of human authorship. The impact of AI on the future of mainstream media remains uncertain, but it is already transforming the landscape of online content creation.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI-written content on the rise | Human authorship to AI-generated content | More hyper-specific and personalized articles | Cost-effectiveness and productivity |
| More misinformation and manipulation | Potential loss of truth and grounding | Difficulty in tracing back to reality | Lack of accountability and oversight |
| AI-generated content becoming essential | Novelty to essential part of workflow | Increased reliance and integration of AI tools | Cost-effectiveness and productivity |
| AI-generated news websites identified | AI-generated “news” websites | Increased presence of AI-generated news sites | Clickbait and gaming algorithms |
| Companies using AI to create niche content | Human-written to AI-assisted content | More niche content available | Cost-effectiveness and productivity |
| AI liability and intellectual property concerns | Uncertainty and limitations of AI | Uncertainty around AI liability and IP | Uncertain legal and ethical implications |
| Increase in AI-generated clickbait and reviews | Human-generated to AI-generated content | Increase in AI-generated websites and reviews | Cost-effectiveness and gaming algorithms |
| Search engines surfacing AI-generated images | Authentic images to AI-generated images | AI-generated images appearing in search results | Advancement in AI image generation |
| AI impacting the growth of human-written content | Slowdown in growth of human-written content | Preference for automated content over human-written | Cost-effectiveness and productivity |