What AI means for content creators: how to use it and how to fight it

In the wake of Google announcing the rollout of its Search Engine Generators (SGE), many bloggers are understandably anxious. This follows Google’s recent Helpful Content Update, which penalizes AI-generated content, gutting many people’s blogs, while seeming to favour user-driven platforms like Reddit, Hackernews, and Quora. SGE, Google’s newest AI system, will scrape sites, enabling their users to read the content without visiting the actual websites. This poses a significant risk to content creators, stripping them of potential ad revenue and agency.

As a developer who has recently delved into blogging, I have a pretty strong interest in AI tools and an often disappointed awareness of their current limitations. Understanding what AI can and cannot do is crucial to safeguarding yourself, so I’m going to tell you what I know.

Future-Proof by Understanding AI

There are several myths about AI that need clarification before we go further:

1. Detection Tools: There are currently no reliable tools for detecting AI-generated content. While many companies claim to have this capability, it is practically impossible to determine if text was generated via AI. However, generic GPT-3.5 outputs are recognizable with basic machine learning, so if you use GPT models, ensure significant edits. Alternatively, utilize high-quality AI tools, such as Jasper or Scite for something that is unlikely to get penalized by HCU.
2. Capabilities of GPT: GPT is not magic; it’s not AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), and, for development purposes, it’s remarkably restrictive. Having worked extensively on GPT tooling over the past year, I can confirm that it struggles with complex problems like advanced mathematics or niche programming knowledge, it hallucinates more than you might think, and GPT primarly processes text and it’s difficult to get it to adapt on the fly to different formats and mediums — all of these things you can leverage to your advantage.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Chatbots: Implement a RAG chatbot on your site. This tool can answer reader queries, provide personalized recommendations, and encourage interaction, giving visitors a reason to return. If you’re unsure how to do this and want to find out more, I’ll be posting more in depth tutorials or tooling soon if you’d like to subscribe.
2. Rich Media Content: Employ AI to produce engaging infographics and audio content, which enhances share-ability across networks like Spotify and YouTube and protects your content from being appropriated by Google.
3. Subscription Models: Develop tiered subscription options. Provide basic content for free, but reserve in-depth analyses, eBooks, or exclusive videos for paid subscribers. This not only generates revenue but also builds a loyal community and an impenetrable barrier against content scraping.
4. Exclusive Communities: Set up private groups on platforms like Discord or Slack where paid members can access additional content, personal consultations, or community-driven support. This is particularly effective for content creators focused on educational materials.

Expanding Your Content Delivery

The true value in blogging lies not in the content itself but in the audience that engages with it. This perspective necessitates a shift from purely creating content to actively cultivating an audience. Google’s immense power over you stems from its control over vast audiences, not its content. Thus, diversifying your traffic sources is essential. Broadly post across multiple social media platforms to both support your SEO via backlinks and provide alternative entry points for your audience, making you less reliant on Google for your incoming traffic.

Emphasizing the Audience

While the challenges posed by corporations like Google are formidable, they also present an opportunity to rethink not only blogging but also communication itself. Use AI to expand your thoughts and reach, and it will work for you, not against you. Remember, it’s not about protecting your content, but protecting your audience. In a world where AI seems to be replacing everything, the irreplaceable element is you.

If you found this post useful, please feel free to reach out. I am eager to provide more tutorials and tooling on effectively utilizing AI for entrepreneurship. Contact me at info@pantheon-ai.com for further information or assistance.