Risks of Copying AI-Generated Content

We’ve spent 9 months researching and testing AI-generated content's impact on Google’s algorithm. Here’s what you need to know if you’re using tools like ChatGPT to create content for your website. After extensive research and hands-on experiments (including with our own website), here’s what we’ve found: Google’s penalties on AI-generated content are real. If an article is 100% AI-written, Google can de-index it quickly—sometimes within 1-2 days of publication. Their detection of AI content, particularly from tools like ChatGPT or Claude, is sharper than ever. Even if you use human "rewriters" to make it seem more natural, half the time Google still catches it. What’s even riskier? If a significant portion of your website’s content (think 30% or more) is AI-generated, Google may penalize the entire site. While the exact percentage isn’t set in stone, it’s a gamble—the more AI content you post, the more likely Google will penalize your top-ranking keywords. We’ve seen sites lose 30-40% of their top 3 ranking keywords, while lower-ranking ones are left untouched. So, what should you do? Focus on original content with fresh ideas and perspectives. AI can be helpful for brainstorming. It cannot create, only replicate and regurgitate. Google is looking for new, valuable information, not a repeat of the same generic content. High-value content includes specific and unique insights. It should serve a net new purpose for readers that can’t be found in other content on the same topic. tl;dr Don’t rely on AI to completely write or heavily rewrite your articles. The risk of Google detecting and penalizing it is too high. Be cautious when using AI to repurpose content—it might come across as “AI-written,” which Google will quickly flag. As Google improves its ability to spot AI content, penalties for unoriginal work—whether AI-generated or not—will likely increase. 👥 AI for content writing is currently my favorite debate in the digital marketing world. What’s your take on what we’ve found? 

Someone Stole My AI-Generated Content—Is That Even Legal? 🤖📄🔍 So here’s the twist of the AI age: You use a tool like ChatGPT, Midjourney, or Claude to create something original. You publish it. Share it. Build on it. Then someone else comes along, copies it word-for-word or repackages it like it's theirs. Can they do that? Is that even legal? Well… it’s complicated. 🧠 Here’s the issue: In many countries (including the U.S.), content generated entirely by AI may not qualify for traditional copyright protection—because it wasn’t made by a human. That means your AI-generated content might not be protected the same way your hand-written work is. 😱 That also means others might be able to copy it—and it could be completely legal. But here’s what you can do: ✅ Add your own human touch. Edit, adapt, and shape the content so your creative input is unmistakable. That makes it more protectable. ✅ Document your creative process. Show that you guided the AI, selected prompts intentionally, and curated the final output. This strengthens your claim of ownership. ✅ Use licenses. Even if it’s AI-assisted, publishing your work with clear terms (e.g., Creative Commons, “no reuse without permission”) can set expectations—and give you a case if someone violates them. ✅ Call it out. Even if it’s not legally protected, plagiarism is still reputation-damaging. Public pressure works. We’re in uncharted territory. The law is still catching up to AI. But one thing’s clear: Originality still matters. Integrity still matters. And creators still deserve respect. Have you had your AI-assisted content copied? What did you do? #AIethics #Copyright #GenerativeAI #ContentOwnership #Plagiarism #CreativeRights #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork

CAUTION for marketing teams using agencies or contractors: Content generated solely by AI (whether it’s text, images, or video) is not copyright protected. That means if your agency uses AI without telling you, you may have just paid for work anyone else can reuse whenever and wherever the heck they want. And marketing agencies are among the heaviest users of AI right now. I know, kinda scary, right?! This came up on a call with a client recently who was concerned with an agency they're using (hint: this applies to fractionals too... ie me in his case LOL). Anyway, after looking into it more (and doing some ChatGPTing), I put together a quick checklist to make sure you're safe with your content: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬: Add language requiring agencies to disclose AI use, and confirm you must approve before delivery. 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Reserve the right to reject any AI-generated content unless it’s supplemented with human authorship. 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Ask agencies to provide a record of the tools used and the level of human involvement. In other words, ask them to document everything. 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: For major assets (logos, campaigns, videos, etc), file copyright registrations (requires disclosure of AI use). 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬: Build AI audits into quarterly agency reviews to check for compliance. 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Train your team to spot AI red flags in deliverables (e.g., odd image artifacts, inconsistent copy tone).