Observed Signal · Jun 29, 2023 · Research Report · Source: Trending Topics · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Negative
AI-Generated Junk Websites Make Money Off Programmatic Ads
A NewsGuard report, shared exclusively with MIT Technology Review, reveals that AI chatbots are being used to mass-produce low-quality junk websites filled with automatically generated text to attract paying advertisers. According to the report, more than 140 major brands unknowingly pay for ads placed on these unreliable AI-written sites. Google placed 90% of the brand ads found on such pages, despite its policies prohibiting ads on spammy automated content. NewsGuard identifies roughly 25 new AI-generated websites each week and has found 217 across 13 languages since April. One site published more than 1,200 articles per day. Programmatic advertising is the main revenue source, as algorithms automatically bid on ad placements without human oversight. Researchers warn the practice wastes ad budgets and could lead to a wave of misinformation. No simple solutions exist because advertising funds much of the internet economy.
Highlights a systemic vulnerability of programmatic advertising to AI-generated spam, raising brand safety risks and wasting ad budgets, but does not itself change market structure.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Over 140 major brands paid for ads placed on unreliable AI-generated websites, according to NewsGuard.
- Google placed 90% of major-brand ads found on AI-generated news sites.
- NewsGuard identified 217 AI-generated junk websites in 13 languages since April; about 25 are discovered weekly.
- One AI-generated website published more than 1,200 articles per day.
- Programmatic advertising is the main revenue source for AI-generated spam sites.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“Laut einem neuen Bericht des Medienforschungsunternehmens NewsGuard, der exklusiv mit MIT Technology Review geteilt wurde, kommen immer mehr...”
“Neunzig Prozent der Anzeigen von großen Marken, die auf diesen KI-generierten Nachrichtenseiten zu finden sind, hat Google geschaltet....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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