Credibility of Digital Content
How AI-generated content challenges authenticity, trust, and the value of brands
I like to think about the future of digital media, as I think it’s the central topic right now. To be honest, I think there is a lot of hype out there right now.
What is a brand, for example? Isn’t that, by definition, a credible source of information? And if so, how can AI slop not ruin that? And can you really reduce human involvement in all of this?
I think this is a broad issue that is relevant across many domains.
Long-term foresight
I see one problem appearing in many places. Generating content using AI (images, ads, videos) will become cheap. In extreme cases, a person endorsing a product could be done even without the person physically being involved.
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However, proving that the person actually endorses a product, and that the content is authentic, becomes much more difficult. The core issue is content authenticity.
Some of us would ask why we should care about authenticity. The strongest argument there is an assumption that quantity will win over quality. But is it really? I believe authenticity is, and will continue to be, the essence of a brand. A brand would not be well-known without authentic credibility.
Where the problem is already visible
I can already see the same problem in many places.
Posts: People comment on AI-generated (or non-AI-generated) content without knowing whether it is authentic. That means they are not sure about its authenticity. What can they trust, then? History has shown that we turn to other people when we are uncertain.
Job market: AI agents are submitting a lot of applications to the job market automatically. Some genuinely qualified people also apply, but it is not possible to trust every application. Thus, people with real skills will suffer. This reinforces the need to set up real calls and talk to applicants directly.
The need for verification
In both cases, the long-term solution is some form of content verification. I think we are moving towards some form of signature or watermarking because, as I said, this is a much wider issue, and the credibility of digital media is in question.
Where AI creates value
Now, that does not mean AI cannot be used at all in those cases. As I mention on my website (https://aspensource.eu/), I see AI as beneficial, especially for business process automation. If something could be automated without reducing credibility, I think it’s reasonable.
So I think we should concentrate more on the automation side of things and less on producing AI-generated content, if we want to be efficient in the long term.
