Once upon a time, spam filters seemed like sorcery. Without us even knowing, they’d get rid of unsolicited emails from our inboxes, making life easier, and freeing up time.
Now, there’s a new chapter in the filter story. This time it’s not spam, but AI-generated content.
AI content detectors are surging in popularity, thanks to their ability to filter through content and separate the human-crafted from machine-made.
And they’ve got more uses than many give them credit for.
This blog answers essential questions like:
- How do AI content detectors work?
- When is an AI content detector most useful for businesses?
- When is AI-generated content a threat, and when might it be a useful tool?
What is an AI content detector? How does it work?
In a nutshell, an AI content detector analyses content and uses powerful algorithms to assess the likelihood that it was created by generative AI (or GenAI, as it’s often known).
They’re not perfect, but they’re getting better all the time, and growing in number. Many are free at a basic level, though premium versions offer unlimited word limits and additional features.
Popular examples include Copyleaks, GPTZero and Scribbr.
How can businesses use AI detector tools?
Here are 3 common scenarios where an AI content detector could prove invaluable:
Guarding your brand and reputation
It’s a business nightmare: discovering a social media storm caused by someone seeing that you’ve plagiarized someone else’s content…on your company website.
It might be easy to keep tabs on content creation when everything’s being produced in-house, in an on-site team. Otherwise, how do you know? This is a particularly big challenge for companies with user-generated content, or where content creation teams are remote, or based across several offices,
It never needs to happen. AI detectors can scan your web, marketing and social media posts for potential plagiarism.
Your brand’s unique voice and presence is vital—and well worth protecting.
Protecting your Google rankings
Google’s algorithms prioritize content written with people in mind, rather than content solely aimed at getting search engines’ attention.
This doesn’t mean that AI-generated content automatically gets deprioritized though. For Google, it’s more about ensuring that top results serve the people carrying out the searches.
At present, humans produce this sort of content far better and more reliably than machines.
That is to say, if your business starts to rely heavily on AI-generated content, you could become less visible at the crucial moment of people trying to find you.
A good AI content detector can ensure you always know whether your content is human- or machine-made.
Streamlining and enhancing recruitment
AI detectors can make recruitment better, and easier. Given the present IT expert shortage, this is extremely valuable.
Companies can run resumes through AI detectors to pick up on heavily plagiarised applications.
This means businesses can focus on genuine candidates with the relevant experience and skills to do the job, rather than those hoping to ‘blag’ their way in.
This process saves time, effort, and potentially a lot of frustration.
Is AI-generated content really that problematic?
The truth is: AI is a powerful—yet imperfect—tool. But it pays to be mindful of its shortcomings:
- For one, it struggles with the subtleties of language, and although it tries to mimic that unmistakable human ‘flair’, it often falls short.
- Second, it’s prone to getting its facts wrong…or completely making things up.
- Third, even if it got everything right and sounded 100% human all the time, there’s still the question of ethics. Businesses need to think about responsible use of AI, and transparency with their teams and customers.
- Last but not least: Remember, this applies to AI content detectors too. They offer valuable functionalities, but they aren’t perfect either.
AI-generated content is not inherently bad. It’s a tool, so it’s about how it’s wielded.
The future is collaborative
AI content detectors are not a holistic solution to quality content, perfect personnel, or a flawless online presence. They never will be.
Rather, they’re complementary tools that can make lighter work of essential business operations.
Penta believes the human touch will always reign supreme.
We also believe in the power of collaboration. Our clients value our deeply individualized approach as their trusted partners, where their goals become our goals.
Why not contact us today, and discover how we can support your business goals.