{"id":582129,"date":"2023-07-07T10:40:01","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T07:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/europe-must-act-against-ai-written-reviews-before-its-too-late\/"},"modified":"2023-07-07T10:40:01","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T07:40:01","slug":"europe-must-act-against-ai-written-reviews-before-its-too-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/europe-must-act-against-ai-written-reviews-before-its-too-late\/","title":{"rendered":"#Europe must act against AI-written reviews before it\u2019s too late"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4130eb8b961\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4130eb8b961\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/europe-must-act-against-ai-written-reviews-before-its-too-late\/#AI-written_reviews_Who_cares\" >AI-written reviews? Who cares?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/europe-must-act-against-ai-written-reviews-before-its-too-late\/#But_whats_actually_going_on_out_there\" >But what\u2019s actually going on out there?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/europe-must-act-against-ai-written-reviews-before-its-too-late\/#Long_hard_years_are_on_the_horizon\" >Long, hard years are on the horizon<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/europe-must-act-against-ai-written-reviews-before-its-too-late\/#Hitting_back_against_AI-written_reviews\" >Hitting back against AI-written reviews<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/europe-must-act-against-ai-written-reviews-before-its-too-late\/#The_government_must_get_involved\" >The government must get involved<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/europe-must-act-against-ai-written-reviews-before-its-too-late\/#AI-written_reviews_Here_to_stay\" >AI-written reviews: Here to stay<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parts of modern life are inescapable. We all use m<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ing software for directions, check the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> on our phones, and read online reviews of products before buying them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology<\/a> didn\u2019t create these things, but what it has done is democratise them, make them easier to access or add to. Take online reviews. Nowadays, people can share their honest opinions about products and services in a way that, back in the times gone by, would\u2019ve been impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet, what the internet giveth, it can, uh, taketh away too?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It didn\u2019t take long for nefarious actors to realise they could exploit this new-found ability technology to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">flood the market with fake reviews<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, creating an entirely new industry along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/div>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The &lt;3 of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In recent years, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">much of the discussion<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> around fake reviews has dissipated, but now? They\u2019re back with a vengeance \u2014 and it\u2019s all because of AI.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ascension of large language models (LLMs) like <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ChatGPT<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means we\u2019re entering a new era of fake reviews, and governments in Europe and the rest of the world need to act before it\u2019s too late.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AI-written_reviews_Who_cares\"><\/span><strong>AI-written reviews? Who cares?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As pithy as that sounds, it\u2019s a valid question. Fake reviews have been part of online life for almost as long as the internet has existed. Will things really change if it\u2019s sophisticated machines writing them instead of humans?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spoiler: yes. Yes it will.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The key differentiator is scale. Previously, text-generating software was relatively unsophisticated. What they created was often sloppy and vague, meaning the public could im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely see it was untrustworthy, crafted by a dumb computer rather than a slightly less dumb person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This meant that for machine-written fake reviews to be successful and trick people, other humans had to be involved with the text. The rise of LLMs and AI means that\u2019s no longer the case.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using ChatGPT, almost anyone can produce hundreds of fake reviews that, to all intents and purposes, read like they could be written by a real person.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, again, so what? More fake reviews? Who cares? I put this to Kunal Purohit, Chief Digital Services Officer at <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techmahindra.com\/en-in\/?f=3758516107\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tech Mahindra<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an IT consulting firm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He tells me that \u201creviews are essential for businesses of any size.\u201d The reason for this is it helps them \u201cbuild brand recognition and trust with potential customers or prospects.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is increasingly important in the modern world, as the competitiveness of the business sector is causing customers to become more aware and demanding of companies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that user experience is a core selling point \u2014 and brands prioritise this aspect of their business \u2014 Purohit says that bad reviews can shatter organisations\u2019 abilities to do business effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To put that another way, fake reviews aren\u2019t just something that can convince you to buy a well-reviewed book that, in reality, is a bit boring. They can be used for both negative and positive reasons, and, when levelled at a company, can seriously impact that business\u2019 reputation and ability to work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is why we \u2014 and the EU \u2014 must take computer-generated reviews seriously.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"But_whats_actually_going_on_out_there\"><\/span><strong>But what\u2019s actually going on out there?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this point, much of the discussion is academic. Yes, we\u2019re aware that AI-written reviews <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">could<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> be a problem, but are they? What\u2019s actually happening?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Purohit tells me that, already, \u201cAI-powered chatbots are being used to create fake reviews on marketplace products.\u201d Despite the platforms\u2019 best efforts, they\u2019ve become inundated with computer-generated reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is confirmed by Keith Nealon, the CEO of <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bazaarvoice.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bazaarvoice<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a company that helps retailers show user-generated content on their site. He says he\u2019s seen how \u201cgenerative AI has recently been used to write fake product reviews,\u201d with the goal being to \u201cincrease the volume of reviews for a product with the intent to drive greater conversion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI-written reviews are gaining momentum, but, friends, this is just the beginning.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Long_hard_years_are_on_the_horizon\"><\/span><strong>Long, hard years are on the horizon<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trust we have in reviews is about to be shattered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nealon from Bazaarvoice says the use of AI at scale could have \u201cserious implications for the future of online shopping,\u201d especially if we reach a situation where \u201cshoppers can\u2019t trust whether a product review is authentic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The temptation to use computer-generated reviews on the business side of things will also only increase.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe all want our apps to be at the top of the rankings, and we all know one way to get this is through user engagement with reviews,\u201d Simon Bain \u2014 CEO of <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.omniindex.io\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OmniIndex<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an encrypted data platform \u2014 tells me. \u201cIf there\u2019s the option to mass produce these quickly with AI, then some companies are going to take that route, just as some already do with click farms for other forms of user engagement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He continues, saying that while the danger of computer-written reviews are bad, the fact this methodology becomes an extra tool for click farms is even worse. Bain foresees a world where AI-generated text can \u201cbe combined with other activities like click fraud and mass-produced in a professional way very cheaply.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What this means is rather than AI-written reviews being a standalone problem, they have the potential to become a huge cog in an even bigger misinformation machine. This could lead to trust in all aspects of online life being eroded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So\u2026 can anything be done?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hitting_back_against_AI-written_reviews\"><\/span><strong>Hitting back against AI-written reviews<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were two common themes across all the experts I spoke with regarding fighting computer-generated reviews. The first was that it\u2019s going to be tough. And the second? We\u2019re going to need artificial intelligence to fight against\u2026 artificial intelligence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt can be incredibly difficult to spot AI-written content\u00a0 \u2014 especially if it is being produced by professionals,\u201d Bain says. He believes we need to crack down on this practice in the same way we\u2019ve been doing so for similar fraudulent activities: with AI.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Bain, this would function by analysing huge pools of data around app use and engagement. This would use tactics like \u201cpattern recognition, natural language processing, and machine learning\u201d to spot fraudulent content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Purohit and Nealon agree with this, each of them pointing towards the potential AI has to solve its problems in our conversations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite this, it\u2019s Chelsea Ashbrook \u2014 Senior Manager, Corporate Digital Experience at Genentech, a biotechnology company \u2014 who summed it up best: \u201cLooking into the future, though, we might need to develop new tools and techniques. It is what it is; AI is getting smarter, and so must we.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_government_must_get_involved\"><\/span><strong>The government must get involved<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this stage, we encounter another problem: yes, AI tools can combat computer-generated reviews, but how does this actually work? What can be done?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And this is where governing bodies like the EU come in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I put this to Ashbook: \u201cThey certainly have their work cut out for them,\u201d she says. Ashbrook then suggests one way governments can combat this upcoming plague may be to \u201cestablish guidelines that necessitate transparency about the origin of reviews.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bain from OmniIndex, on the other hand, mentions the importance of ensuring that existing laws and regulations around elements like \u201cfraud, and cybercrime keep up to date with how [AI] is being used.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Purohit from Tech Mahindra believes we\u2019re already seeing many positive initiatives and policies from governments and key AI industry professionals around the responsible use of the tech. Despite this, \u201cthere are several ways official bodies such as the EU \u2026 can prevent [it] from getting out of hand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He points towards \u201cincreasing research and development, [and] strengthening regulatory frameworks\u201d as two important elements of this strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond that, Purohit believes governments should update consumer protection laws to combat the dangers posed by AI-generated content. This could cover a range of things, including \u201cenforcing penalties for the misuse or manipulation of AI-generated reviews\u201d or \u201cholding platforms accountable for providing accurate and reliable information to consumers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There you go, Europe, feel free to use those ideas to get the ball rolling.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AI-written_reviews_Here_to_stay\"><\/span><strong>AI-written reviews: Here to stay<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to read the least shocking thing you\u2019ve seen in some time? AI is going to change the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite that, the topics the press tends to be obsessed with are things like the singularity of a potential AI-driven apocalypse. Which, to be honest, sound far sexier \u2014 and drive far more clicks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But in my mind, it\u2019s the smaller things like AI-written reviews that will have the most impact on our immediate lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fundamentally, society is based on trust, on the idea that there are people around us who share a vague set of similar values. AI being used in these small ways has the potential to undercut that. If we can no longer believe what we see, hear, or read, then we no longer trust anything.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if that happens? Well, it won\u2019t take long until things start crumbling around us.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is why governmental bodies like the EU can\u2019t adopt a \u201cwait-and-see\u201d approach to regulating areas as seemingly inconsequential as AI-written reviews. There must be regulation \u2014 and it must be fast. Because if we delay too long, it may already be too late.<\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/europe-must-act-against-ai-written-reviews-before-too-late\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parts of modern life are inescapable. We all use mapping software for directions, check the news on our phones, and read online reviews of products before buying them. Technology didn\u2019t create these things, but what it has done is democratise them, make them easier to access or add to. Take online reviews. Nowadays, people can&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":582130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/AI-written-reviews--e1688652255818.jpg&signature=9ab305f9413e0291d887bae5923d53df","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-582129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/582129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=582129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/582129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/582130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=582129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=582129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=582129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}