Is AI Content Detectable? And does Google even Care?

Summary

In this video, Matt Diggity explores the capabilities of AI in content creation, highlighting its ability to mimic human writing to the point of winning literary awards. He challenges the notion that Google can effectively detect AI-generated content, citing studies showing low accuracy rates and even misidentifying the U.S. Constitution as AI-written. Diggity argues that with proper fine-tuning and human oversight, AI content can be undetectable and of high quality, suggesting that Google's primary concern is not the source of the content but its quality and contribution to spam.

Takeaways

• 🏆 An AI-written short story won a prestigious Japanese literary award, sparking discussions about AI's ability to mimic human writing.
• 🧠 AI's capability to fool humans is not new; many people still believe in misconceptions like the flat Earth theory.
• 🔍 Google's algorithm currently cannot reliably detect AI-generated content, contrary to what some might expect.
• 📊 Research data indicates that AI detection software has limited accuracy, with some achieving only 50% reliability.
• 🇺🇸 The U.S. Constitution was mistakenly identified as AI-written, highlighting the flaws in current detection methods.
• 📈 Matt Diggity's personal experience suggests that Google does not penalize AI content if used correctly, as his AI site saw traffic growth after an update.
• 💡 Google's stance is that they have no issue with AI-generated content as long as it is high quality and not spammy.
• 🤖 AI detectors rely on predicting word choices, but this method is flawed against advanced AI models that can mimic human writing styles.
• 📝 Large language models (LLMs) can be fine-tuned for specific industries or styles, making AI-generated content even more indistinguishable from human writing.
• 📚 AI tools are trained on vast amounts of text data, learning human language nuances, sentence structures, and writing styles.
• 🤝 Ethical considerations arise with undetectable AI content, such as the potential for fake news and literary awards won by AI instead of humans.
• 🛑 The March 2024 Google Core algorithm update did not target AI content but rather aimed to combat spam and low-quality content flooding search results.

Q & A

What significant event involving AI and literature did the speaker mention at the beginning of the script?

A short story written entirely by AI won one of Japan's most prestigious literary awards.

What is the speaker's opinion on Google's ability to detect AI-generated content?

The speaker suggests that Google's algorithm cannot reliably detect AI-generated content, as evidenced by the low accuracy rates of AI detection softwares.

What was the outcome of the March core update according to the speaker's website portfolio?

The speaker's entire website portfolio was flat after the update, except for the 100% pure AI site, which grew in traffic.

What does the speaker claim about Google's stance on AI-generated content?

The speaker states that Google doesn't have an issue with AI-generated content as long as it is used correctly and is of high quality.

What is the speaker's profession and how does AI relate to it?

The speaker, Matt Diggity, is the founder of multiple seven-figure SEO businesses and has been following the development of AI and content production closely.

How do AI detectors attempt to identify AI-generated content?

AI detectors work by predicting word choices and identifying likely next words in a text to determine if it is AI-generated.

What is the concept of 'human in the loop AI writing' mentioned in the script?

'Human in the loop AI writing' refers to the process of using human input to guide AI in generating content, adding nuances, experience, and avoiding patterns that AI detectors look for.

How does the speaker suggest improving the detection avoidance of AI-generated content?

The speaker suggests using advanced prompting techniques and tools like Surfer AI to humanize the content and make it less detectable by AI detectors.

What ethical considerations does the speaker raise about AI-generated content?

The speaker raises concerns about the potential for fake news generation and literary awards being won by AI, rather than human writers.

What was the actual issue Google was facing during the March core update according to the speaker?

Google was facing a crisis of spam and a decline in the quality of search results due to the mass production of AI content.

What indirect method does the speaker believe Google might be using to identify AI-generated content?

The speaker suggests that Google might be identifying AI-generated content indirectly by targeting sites that are spamming the search results with a large volume of content.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 AI's Literary Triumph and Detection Challenges

The video script begins by highlighting the surprising victory of an AI-written short story in a prestigious Japanese literary award. It questions the ability of AI to deceive humans and touches on the public's misconceptions, such as the flat Earth theory. The main focus shifts to the capabilities of AI, particularly questioning whether Google's algorithm can detect AI-generated content. The presenter, Matt Diggity, introduces himself as an SEO expert and discusses the limitations of AI writing detectors, citing a study that shows their low accuracy rates. He also shares his personal experience with the March core update by Google, which allegedly targeted AI sites, yet his AI site saw an increase in traffic. The script suggests that Google is more concerned with content quality than its source, as long as it meets user needs.

05:02

🔍 The Inherent Difficulty of AI Detection and Ethical Considerations

This paragraph delves into the technical aspects of how AI detectors operate, based on predicting word choices and the challenges they face due to AI's ability to generate complex text. It discusses the concept of fine-tuning large language models to mimic specific writing styles and the use of 'human in the loop' AI writing to add human nuances. The presenter shares an experiment where he used AI to write content on SEO, which was initially detected as AI-generated but became undetectable after applying humanizing prompts. The script also touches on the vast data sources that AI tools use to learn human language nuances and the ethical implications of undetectable AI content, such as the potential for fake news and literary awards won by AI. It concludes by emphasizing that AI content generation is advancing faster than detection methods.

10:02

📉 Google's Stance on AI Content and the Impact of the March Update

The final paragraph addresses the misconception that Google's March 2024 core algorithm update targeted AI content websites for penalties. The script clarifies that Google's real issue is with spam and low-quality content, not the use of AI. It explains that Google manually targeted SEO influencers who publicly used AI, causing fear among the SEO community. However, private AI projects that did not overtly abuse the technology were left untouched. The script suggests that Google rewards high-quality content regardless of its source, as long as it adds value for users. It advises against mass-producing AI content to avoid detection and emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity, recommending a maximum of 20 articles per day and the use of human editors or advanced AI tools to ensure content quality.

Keywords

💡AI-generated content

AI-generated content refers to any written material created by artificial intelligence algorithms. In the video's context, it is a central theme as the script discusses the ability of AI to produce content that is indistinguishable from human writing. The video mentions a short story entirely written by AI that won a prestigious literary award, highlighting the sophistication of AI in mimicking human writing.

💡Google algorithm

The Google algorithm is the set of rules that Google uses to rank websites in its search engine results. The script raises the question of whether Google's algorithm can detect AI-generated content, a significant issue given the increasing prevalence of AI in content creation. The video suggests that current AI detection methods are not reliable, with the accuracy compared to flipping a coin.

💡AI detection software

AI detection software is designed to identify content created by artificial intelligence. The video references research showing the limited accuracy of such software when detecting AI-generated content from CHAT GPT 3.5, indicating that these tools are not yet fully capable of distinguishing between AI and human-written content.

💡SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO is the practice of improving and promoting a website to increase its visibility in search engine results. The video's speaker, Matt Diggity, is an SEO expert who discusses the impact of AI-generated content on SEO strategies. He shares his experience with AI content during a Google core update, suggesting that Google does not penalize AI content if used correctly.

💡Large Language Models (LLMs)

Large Language Models are AI systems trained on vast amounts of text data, enabling them to generate human-like text. The script explains that these models can be fine-tuned for specific industries or styles, making AI-generated content increasingly similar to human writing. This capability is crucial for understanding how AI can produce content that is difficult to distinguish from human writing.

💡Humanizing AI content

Humanizing AI content involves techniques to make AI-generated text appear more natural and less mechanical. The video describes methods such as giving AI specific instructions to avoid patterns that AI detectors look for, or to match the tone and reading level of the target audience. An example from the script is using prompts to reduce the likelihood of AI detection to nearly zero.

💡Topical authority

Topical authority is a concept in SEO where a website is recognized by search engines as a leading source of information on a specific topic. The video explains how AI can be used to quickly produce a breadth of content on a topic, potentially establishing topical authority faster and leading to increased search traffic.

💡AI spam

AI spam refers to the mass production of low-quality content using AI, which can overwhelm search engines with duplicate or irrelevant information. The script discusses Google's struggle with AI spam, noting that it can degrade the quality of search results and is a challenge for Google to manage.

💡Google Core algorithm update

A Google Core algorithm update is a modification to Google's search ranking system that can significantly affect website traffic. The video script mentions a specific update in March that was rumored to target AI-generated content. However, the speaker argues that Google's actual issue was with spammy practices, not AI content itself.

💡Ethical considerations

Ethical considerations in the context of AI-generated content involve the implications of undetectable AI writing on areas such as fake news and literary awards. The video raises questions about the authenticity and integrity of content and recognition when AI can convincingly imitate human writing.

💡Surfer AI

Surfer AI is a tool mentioned in the script that is used to enhance the quality of AI-generated content. It is described as capable of advanced tasks such as fact collection and humanization, which can result in content that is of higher quality than much human-written content. This tool exemplifies efforts to improve the credibility and value of AI-generated content.

Highlights

AI-written short story won a prestigious Japanese literary award.

Google's algorithm cannot reliably detect AI-generated content.

OpenAI's document on the ineffectiveness of AI writing detectors.

Research study data showing 50% accuracy of AI detection softwares on GPT 3.5.

U.S. Constitution was detected as AI-written, raising questions about AI detection reliability.

Matt Diggity's experience with AI content during the March core update.

Google's stance that they do not have an issue with AI-generated content if used correctly.

AI detectors' reliance on predicting word choices and their limitations.

The ability of large language models to be fine-tuned for specific industries or styles.

Humanizing AI content to avoid detection by AI detectors.

Experiment showing AI content detection rates dropping to 0% with humanizing prompts.

Ethical considerations of undetectable AI content generation.

Google's indirect methods to check for AI-generated content through spam detection.

Explanation of the March Google Core algorithm update's impact on AI content websites.

Google's focus on combating spam rather than targeting AI content per se.

The importance of not overusing AI to avoid detection and penalties.

Recommendations for using AI responsibly in content creation.

The Search Initiative's special offer for SEO services.

Transcripts

What the f k?

Did you know a short story written entirely by AI won one of Japan's

most prestigious literary awards?

But that's not entirely surprising.

So what if AI can fool humans?

An alarming amount of us dummies think that the world is flat.

But what about algorithms?

In particular, can the Google algorithm detect if content is written by AI?

Spoiler alert, it can't.

And in this video, I'm going to prove to you why.

And also, I'm going to discuss if AI ever became detectable.

Should you even care?

Does Google even care?

In case we haven't met before, my name is Matt Diggity and I'm the founder of

Multiple Seven Figure SEO Businesses.

And I've been glued to the development of AI and content

production since the beginning.

Last year, OpenAI themselves released a document saying AI writing detectors

don't work, and that no detectors, quote, reliably distinguish between AI

generated and human generated content.

But they're a bit biased when you say.

They're in the business of mass AI adoption, and thus this is something

that you'd expect them to say.

So let's move on.

The data from this research study from last year shows the accuracy of various

AI detection softwares on CHAT GPT 3.

5, which isn't even the current version.

I don't know about you, but at 50 percent accuracy, you might as well flip a coin.

This one is my favorite.

The U.

S.

Constitution written in 1787 was also detected as being written by AI.

Oh my god, what if it was?

Now, I know this is just a personal anecdotal story, but in the March

core update, which supposedly went after AI sites, ironically, my entire

website portfolio was flat after the update, except for my 100 percent

pure AI site, which grew in traffic.

And that's because Google doesn't actually care about AI content

being used if you use it correctly.

Just last week, Gary Elias from Google said, On stage, Google doesn't have an

issue with AI generated content websites.

If we have a problem, it's with low quality content.

But Matt, what about all the AI sites that got completely

wiped out in the March update?

Don't get your panties in a bunch, I'll explain what actually happened soon.

And, by the way, real quick, I wanted to let you know that my SEO agency,

The Search Initiative, is taking on a handful of clients right now for 1,

000 off their first month, in exchange for a testimonial down the road.

We've actually never once lowered prices since we formed seven years ago.

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let you know what we can do for you.

So why do AI detectors have such a hard job doing their job?

You had one job.

AI detectors work by relying on their ability to predict word choices.

They read a word, then predict what are the most likely next

words that will follow it.

And if the next words truly are those predictable words, then

oh my god that's definitely AI.

Now I know how everyone loves reading white papers, so I'll

summarize this next one for you.

This research paper highlights the difficulty of detection due

to the GPT's inherent ability to generate hyperplexity text.

And that's before any fine tuning.

The incredible thing about large language models is that they can be fine tuned

for specific industries, topics, or styles, further blurring the lines

between AI and human generated content.

This is also known as human in the loop AI writing.

And you can use it to inject human nuances, experience, and even

tell the AI to avoid patterns that AI detectors look for.

For example, you already know that AI detectors work by

identifying likely next words.

What if you simply told the AI not to use those words?

What if you told it to write in the exact perfect tone and

reading level for your audience?

I asked ChatGPT to write me 200 words of content on a beginner's guide to SEO.

Then I tossed that content into ZeroGPT's detector, and it said that it was 95.

22 percent likely that it was written by AI.

And then I did the same exact thing, but I gave chat GPT set of

humanizing prompts and then bam, freaking 0% chance it was AI content.

This detector is dead convinced that a human wrote it.

By the way, after you finish here, check out my video called How I Humanize

Chat, GPT AI Content For a full list of these prompts, link in the description.

The thing is AI content tools and large language models are consistently

getting better at mimicking humans.

At the core of an LLM lies a massive amount of text data.

These tools are trained using deep machine learning on vast libraries

of books, articles, Wikipedia, Reddit, code, and even emails.

This data exposes the AI to the nuances of human language, including

sentence structures, word choice, and even different writing styles.

Now, before we get to Google's stance on AI content, there are

ethical considerations to think of.

Just because AI is undetectable, is that actually a good thing?

Think about all the fake news that's gonna get generated.

Or literary awards that'll be won by expert prompt

engineers instead of writers.

Oh yeah, that's already happened.

But regardless of where you stand, in this arms race between AI content

generation and AI content detection, team generation is winning the race.

By the way, here's a quick word from the sponsor of this

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Anticipate what journalists want to write about at all times and give

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They will reward you with some great, juicy links.

I hope this is helpful.

Now back to the video.

Alright, so what the happened in the March Google Core algorithm update.

In spam update.

Didn't Google declare war against AI content websites and penalize

them into the Smither Marines?

A ISO enthusiast, Julian Goldie's.

Public AI case studies went from kicking ass to having their asses clapped.

And then we saw articles like this with A URL longer than a Kardashian

Christmas list saying the March, 2024 core algorithm update is now targeting

AI generated content with penalty.

If you bought into this, sorry to say it, but YOU JUST GOT PUMPED!

Here's what's really going on.

Google is facing a crisis of spam.

This is the first time in my life that I can ever recall that

people around me are saying Google results are actually getting worse.

And it's not just us sour SEOs that think this because we're losing traffic to

Forbes, the world renowned expert on pre workouts and everything else that exists.

Normies are starting to notice Google's result quality slipping too.

Headlines like, It's not just you, Google search really has gotten

worse, are becoming commonplace.

To be honest, I feel for Google.

They've got a difficult problem to tackle.

This Business Insider article notes that when Google cut the word people

from its search guidelines, AI content flooded the search results.

Why?

Because AI content, when done right, works really well.

Here's how.

If you're a subscriber to this channel, you know all about topical authority.

If you write one article about traveling to Japan, Google's like, I don't give

a f But if you write articles about the entire Japan travel topic, like

hot destinations, culture, food, itineraries, and visa requirements,

then Google's like, Arigato gozaimasu!

Now here's a Japan travel topical authority.

Let's give it massive traffic.

Now with AI, you can print out articles super fast, and you can hit topical

authority status faster than ever before.

Some people are posting hundreds and even thousands of articles per day.

Traffic graphs like these are typical.

And then you end up with more headlines like these saying, quote, AI spam is

already starting to ruin the internet, and that's not a good look for Google.

Not only that, but there's hard costs for both indexing and ranking

all this new content that's getting generated faster than ever in history.

As you know, AI content is undetectable through direct means.

That said, I do think that there's an indirect way that they're able to check

for it, and we'll get to that soon.

So if they can't detect it, in May, what did they do instead?

They manually went after SEO influencers with public AI case studies.

A real human watched their Twitter accounts and YouTube channels for case

studies, found their GSE accounts, and then nuked their entire portfolios.

They did this counting on the fact that the SEO community

would find out and freak out.

And it worked.

They got the same result, fear.

People now think that it's freaking illegal to use AI content.

Google effectively pushed back on this wave of mass AI content generation

that was a thorn in their side, and in the meantime took out some sites that

admittedly were over abusing AI anyways.

But here's the kicker.

These same people that were targeted have private AI projects

and those were untouched.

Perfectly fine doing better than ever.

Just like my AI project that I'll never tell anyone about.

Google doesn't have a problem with AI.

They have a problem with people going nuts with ultra mass produced AI

and taking over the search results.

Remember, they changed their definition of helpful content from helpful

content written by people for people to helpful content created for people.

And in their search guidance document about AI content, they said that

they'll quote, reward high quality content, however it's produced.

Now there's another twist to this story.

There's plenty of non public AI case studies that were hit,

like this one that got to 1.

6 million traffic in a heartbeat.

But how could an algorithm find a site like this if they can't detect AI content?

Well there's one thing that people that abuse AI content do.

They spam the sh out of it.

My sites that use AI, and that's all of them, they never post

more than 10 articles per day.

This AI website here that got penalized got up to 16, 000 pages.

It stuck out like a sore thumb.

So if you ask me, use AI, it's completely fine.

It's undetectable and Google doesn't care anyways as long as the content is good.

What they do care about is looking bad.

And even though you probably really want to, hold back from

publishing 100 articles per day.

Because you're going to stick out, you're going to get reported or

detected, and Google will take action because they think that you're spamming.

Publish 10, 20 articles per day tops.

And make an effort.

Either have a human editor polishing up your content, Use advanced

prompting like you can find in my humanizing AI content video.

Or use a tool like Surfer AI that does so much advanced stuff like fact

collection and humanization that it's better quality than 99 percent of

the human writers out there anyways.

And don't forget to subscribe for more videos just like this one.