As generated AI content begins to infiltrate Reddit, a disturbing trend is beginning to emerge.
Today is a huge news day for AI and the web. First (and rightly so), Google has delayed the end of cookies in its Chrome browser by another year. (Details will be explained later) The reason is obvious and does not need to be explained.
In other news, as generative AI content begins to infiltrate Reddit, we're seeing a disturbing trend emerging. ReplyGuy is a blatant example, touting itself as a tool that simulates human interaction to seamlessly insert product mentions into Reddit discussions. ReplyGuy is one of many such services. I don't link to it and don't want to list anything else.
Reply bots powered by GenAI are created to sway discussions and manipulate upvotes to artificially boost SEO rankings. This practice, known as “parasite SEO,” involves abusing the platform's power to influence search engine results and sticking to the top pages to promote products and services. The impact is significant. Reddit's model relies heavily on community moderation and user upvotes, a system that these AI tools currently leverage. Importantly, Reddit and its community are not passive victims. The platform's recent transparency report shows a solid response with a significant amount of content removed, but it's a bit like whack-a-mole.
With all this in mind, are reply bots really unethical? The ReplyGuy website states that they can “save you 30-60 hours per month per project.” they are right. Generative AI-powered reply bots use “super automation” to replicate human interactions, making them much more cost-effective than humans (who are typically hired to do this job). Masu.
Of course I'm asking the wrong question. The issue here is speed and scale. When this trend becomes commonplace (and it absolutely will), the concepts of SEO and social proof will either be adapted or become obsolete.
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About Sherry Palmer
Sherry Palmer is a professor in Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School of Public Communication and director of The Palmer, a consulting firm that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media, and marketing.・I am the CEO of the group. He was named one of LinkedIn's Top Voices in Technology, covering technology and business. good day new yorkis a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular blog about everyday business. He is a bestselling author and creator of popular free online courses. Generative AI for executives.to follow @SherryPalmer Or visit shellypalmer.com.