Consumer advocates warn of countless fake reviews on the Internet

Consumer advocates predict that AI could lead to countless fake online reviews on the Internet.

BERLIN, Germany – The US consumer protection agency FTC has already warned of the fraudulent use of generative artificial intelligence to “create fake profiles and false customer reviews,” Michaela Schroeder of the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) told Editorial Network Germany (RND, Thursday). “We have to take that seriously.”

The problem with such reviews is that they can be hard to distinguish from reviews written by real people. “Many platform operators use software to look for clear language patterns in customer reviews that indicate fake language,” Schroeder said. Pattern recognition may not work with ChatGPT and other AI software.

The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, approved by the European Parliament on Wednesday, establishes a requirement that content produced using artificial intelligence be labeled. Schroeder said fraudsters are unlikely to abide by it. Therefore, “information obligations to consumers offer only limited protection”. pe/pw