Content farms—organizations and individuals that produce websites and articles using artificial intelligence—create vast amounts of often subpar content. They employ AI tools to rehash and rewrite thousands of articles from mainstream news sources without proper attribution. This practice is mainly focused on boosting search engine rankings, but it lacks the depth and accountability of human reporting.
What does this mean, and why is it important?
With state-sponsored disinformation from countries like Russia, China, and Iran attempting to influence the presidential election, and the ease with which these sites can be created (see how one of our analysts created an AI content farm for only $100), news consumers must enhance their media literacy skills to combat these new threats.
For instance, an Iranian-backed AI-generated news site propagated the viral claim that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s alleged psychiatrist committed suicide, part of a broader media campaign aimed at portraying Netanyahu as mentally unstable. This narrative was unverified, but gained traction online. Therefore, understanding the origins of information and the nature of the sites and sources it comes from is essential in the pursuit of trusted news.
AI-generated sites often display recognizable signs of low quality, making it crucial to identify these characteristics for news literacy. Two common indicators of AI “news” sites are generic website domains and the presence of programmatic advertising.
Generic Names
AI-generated websites frequently have nonspecific names like “iBusiness Day,” “Ireland Top News,” and “Daily Time Update.” This can mislead news consumers into thinking the domains are established media outlets, while in reality, they operate with little to no human oversight and publish content largely created by bots. These sites churn out dozens or even hundreds of generic articles on various topics, including politics, technology, entertainment, and travel. Such articles may contain false claims — including those about political leaders and fabricated events — which can often cause a maelstrom of false narratives on social media.
Programmatic Advertising
In many cases, the revenue model for AI-generated websites relies on programmatic advertising, where ad-tech companies deliver ads without regard for the nature or quality of the site. As a result, blue-chip brands may unintentionally support these sites by having their advertisements placed alongside unreliable content. Unless brands actively take steps to exclude untrustworthy sites, their ads will continue to appear on such platforms, creating an economic incentive for their proliferation. This framework has significant social and political consequences, particularly during an election year, as these inadvertently placed funds breathe life into untrustworthy journalism — and takes funds away from legitimate news outlets.
