Last Updated on December 19, 2023 by Steven W. Giovinco
Small to Mid-Sized Businesses, Law Firms, Financial Advisors, CEOs, and Brands Could Be at Risk
While pondering AI ChatGPT, here’s a “Domesday” scenario to consider: what if your carefully curated online presence–your website, social media platforms, and client engagement–is a risk of disappearing?
Or what if you decided to use AI to save money to write blogs, generate images or create autorespond bots for your business but when the poor quality is detected by clients, this leads to online reputation damage?
This might not be as far-fetched as you think.
The advent of the plethora of AI tools can actually lead to a negative web presence, especially as AI gets deployed and integrated deeper into search engines and browsers.
Note: that while there are many text-based AI-tools, for simplicity, we’ll mostly focus on ChatGPT.
Other AI Tools
- ChatGPT
- DALL-E 2
- Jasper AI
- Repurpose IO
- Jenni AI
- Murf
- AI Writing Checker
- Tome
Informational Links
How Is This Applicable to You?
AI tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, Jasper AI, Midjourney, Repurpose IO, Jenni AI, Murf, AI Content Checker, and Tome (and many more) are transforming the business and online landscapes.
Understanding their implications is crucial for everyone, regardless of your interest, usage or experience with AI. Even if you’re skeptical or indifferent to AI tools, it’s essential to recognize the potential impact of the content they generate.
In fact, you’re likely already using AI in some capacity—spellcheck and auto-correct are just a few examples that have been around for years.
As AI continues to shape the future of online search, staying informed about these tools and their potential consequences is critical, particularly for those who may be unaware of the risks and opportunities associated with generated content.
Embracing this new era of AI-driven answers requires both caution and adaptability to safeguard your online presence and reputation.
Is Online Search Changing?
Online search will drastically change in the future, and with it, your online reputation.
Also, there are ways your web presence can actually be damaged by ChatGPT, such as using poorly written unedited AI content or not being found in AI answers by would-be clients.
This is especially crucial for mid-sized brands, small businesses, financial advisors, law firms, physicians, CEOs, and professionals, i.e., any business that is not literally at the very top in its industry.
What is ChatGPT?
First, what is it?
By now, you’ve come across AI and ChatGPT, an exponentially expanding platform that has garnered approximately 5 million users within just a few months and currently has about 180 million users.
Individuals and businesses alike are utilizing it for answering technical questions, crafting articles, and even composing poetry in iambic pentameter.
Though still somewhat in its early stages, AI, and ChatGPT in particular, are poised to revolutionize how we make and access information.
Experience it for yourself: visit the ChatGPT site, ask a question about your business or personal life, and see what emerges.
Two immediate observations are: one, conducting a search, similar to one used for Google, yields results that rarely mention a a specific brand, and two, almost never provide a website hyperlink. These are immediate problems for businesses.
How Does ChatGPT Work?
ChatGPT gathers information from billions of words across sources such as Wikipedia, books, news articles, and scientific journals. Developed by OpenAI, this language model employs ways to generate human-like text.
I asked ChatGPT itself how it worked, but the answer to me personally was unhelpful and slightly baffling:
ChatGPT is a type of language model developed by OpenAI, which is based on the Transformer architecture and uses deep learning techniques to generate text. Here’s a high-level overview of how it works:
- Data Preparation: The model is trained on a massive dataset of text, which is preprocessed and cleaned to remove any irrelevant or duplicate information.
- Tokenization: The text data is then split into individual tokens, such as words or subwords, and these tokens are then assigned unique numerical IDs.
- Model Training: The model is trained on the tokenized data, where it learns to predict the next word in a sequence based on the context of the surrounding words. The model is trained using a variant of the transformer architecture, which allows it to learn relationships between tokens across large distances in the input sequence.
- Inference: When the model is used for inference or generating text, it takes an initial seed of text, such as a prompt or question, and generates subsequent text tokens one at a time, using the probabilities generated by the model during training. The process continues until the model reaches a stopping criterion, such as a maximum length for the generated sequence or a specific end-of-sequence token.
- Text Generation: The generated tokens are then decoded back into human-readable text, and the final generated text is returned as the output.
Overall, the ChatGPT model is designed to generate text that is contextually relevant and coherent, given an input prompt. The training process allows the model to learn patterns and relationships in the text data, and use that knowledge to generate text that is similar in style and content.
After this example, you might think that AI-written text will never work or is too technical–but we’ll see other examples below.
To get a comparison, I went to Google, and asked the same question, but ended up with hundreds of links and a still unclear answer.
This exercise itself seems to be emblematic of the ChatGPT vs traditional online search experience: one concise answer or many spammy links.
What is the Near Future of AI and ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is offered as a standalone application, premium paid versions, and integrated into Bing’s search engine and Microsoft’s Edge browser.
It’s not hard to imagine that these developments could significantly impact online reputation management for businesses.
Seamless integration into internet searches is a potential game-changer for Google’s reign.
How Does ChatGPT Differ from Google and Bing?
While AI and traditional search engines like Google and Bing have their differences, they both index vast quantities of information.
However, ChatGPT exclusively generates text responses–and images through DALL-E–might not be up-to-date, and thus is more suited to providing specific information rather than an array of choices.
Text Only
ChatGPT generates text responses, not presentations, videos, photos, audio, memes, or anything other than written words.
“Less Live”
Some of ChatGPT answers are not pulling information directly from the internet and thus is not up-to-date. Unlike the internet which can produce nearly real-time results, the AI engine stopped gathering information in April 2023 (this changed first from from 2021 and 2022).
Limited Answers
ChatGPT is great at giving limited, highly specific information but not at offering a variety of choices. This is bad for your brand or business (see more below).
To get a general perspective on this topic, I conducted a Google search for, “AI online reputation management,” and found many extremely positive articles focused mostly on the creation of efficiently content and as an excellent online reputation assessment tool. Yet, there is a larger concern.
How Does AI Impact Online Reputation Management and Sales?
Clients typically find you through recommendations, direct contact, partnership referrals, or consulting projects.
Even after a face-to-face meeting or phone conversation, they’re likely to search for more information online about you in Google. A positive web presence comprised of well-written articles or favorable reviews can strongly influence their decision to work together.
On the other hand, a lack of online presence or negative search results deters potential clients immediately.
What Is AI Good At?
AI tools excel at providing complex answers in various fields. For online reputation management ChatGPT can assist in content creation, rewriting/repurposing text, and advanced functions such as 24/7 customer support, handling routine inquiries, and analyzing customer responses potentially enhancing efficiency and reducing costs. However, they may struggle with more nuanced subjective opinions or offering alternative options.
Content Creation
AI can help write blog posts, assist in developing white papers, and aid in creating marketing materials extremely quickly. If rewritten, this could help build or boost your online reputation.
Content Re-Packaging
ChatpGPT makes it easier to re-purpose content into other forms, such as converting a blog post into presentation text, or developing a series of Tweets from a whitepaper.
Advanced Functions
ChatGPT can be modified to provide 24/7 support to customers and clients, handle routine inquiries, answer basic questions about your brand’s products, or analyze customer responses.
Overall, ChatGPT and other AI systems have the potential to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Can ChatGPT Write a Blog Post?
For example, I asked ChatGPT to write a blog post–a key tool in building or repairing an online reputation–on a specific topic that I know little about: annuities. Below is the result.
Annuities: A Guide to Understanding this Investment Option
Annuities are investment products that provide a steady stream of income in exchange for a lump sum of money or a series of payments. They are often used as a way for individuals to save for retirement, but they can also be used for other financial goals. In this blog, we will take a closer look at annuities, how they work, and the benefits and drawbacks of this investment option.
How Annuities Work
Annuities are a contract between an individual and an insurance company. The individual provides the insurance company with a lump sum of money, or a series of payments, and the insurance company agrees to provide the individual with a guaranteed stream of income for a set period of time, usually for the rest of their life. The amount of income received is based on the amount of money invested, the length of the contract, and the interest rate earned on the investment.
Types of Annuities
There are several different types of annuities, each with its own unique features and benefits. The most common types of annuities are:
- Immediate annuities: An immediate annuity starts providing income right away and is often used by individuals who have already retired and are looking for a steady stream of income.
- Deferred annuities: A deferred annuity allows individuals to invest money now and start receiving income at a later date, typically in retirement. This type of annuity is often used as a way to save for retirement.
- Fixed annuities: Fixed annuities offer a guaranteed interest rate for a set period of time, usually for the life of the contract.
- Variable annuities: Variable annuities allow individuals to invest in a portfolio of stocks and bonds, and the amount of income received is dependent on the performance of the portfolio.
Benefits of Annuities
Annuities offer several benefits, including:
- Guaranteed income: Annuities provide a guaranteed stream of income, which can be especially important for individuals in retirement who want to ensure that they have a steady source of income.
- Tax-deferred growth: The money invested in an annuity grows tax-deferred, which means that individuals do not have to pay taxes on the growth until they start receiving income from the annuity.
- Death benefit: Many annuities come with a death benefit, which provides a lump sum of money to the individual’s beneficiaries in the event of their death.
Drawbacks of Annuities
While annuities offer several benefits, there are also several drawbacks to consider, including:
- Cost: Annuities can be expensive, especially if they come with a guarantee of income for life.
- Complexity: Annuities can be complex, and it can be difficult to understand all of the terms and conditions of the contract.
- Limited flexibility: Once an individual has invested in an annuity, it can be difficult to change the terms of the contract, and there may be penalties for early withdrawal.
In conclusion, annuities can be a useful investment option for individuals who are looking for a guaranteed source of income, especially in retirement. However, it is important to carefully consider the benefits and drawbacks of annuities and to thoroughly understand the terms and conditions of the contract before making a decision. It may also be helpful to speak with a financial advisor to determine if an annuity is right for your financial goals and needs.
Although the blog post is somewhat generic, it’s impressive considering it took less than twenty seconds to generate compared to crafting it from scratch would have taken hours. However, to make it useful for readers and significantly beneficial to online reputation management, the AI-generated article requires significant re-writing.
Will AI Replace Good Writing?
To be clear, I don’t advocate using AI to create content.
Rather, ChatGPT can serve as a useful tool or starting point and, in my opinion, will never replace well-crafted blogs, whitepapers, or similar content driven by human ideas.
What Are Reputation Management Problems with AI?
AI-generated content can potentially damage your online reputation in several ways:
Incorrect Results
AI-generated answers can be wrong (“hallucination”), leading to swift brand damage since many tend to believe AI answers must be correct.
Negative Information
ChatGPT might produce negative, outdated, or incorrect information about your brand or business. Google search results can be corrected over time, but ChatGPT is harder to modify.
Subpar Content
AI-written articles require significant rewriting. Copying and pasting or slightly modifying results could worsen your web presence.
Weaponized Fake Content
AI can be “weaponized”. Competitors, disgruntled ex-clients, unhappy previous employees can and will use ChatGPT, Bard, Midjourney, etc., to purposely make fake content that causes reputation damage
Unethical Disclosure
When (not if) readers or clients discover poorly-made AI-generated content, it may damage your online reputation since it can be easy to detect using various tools.
AI-Generated Hate Speech
While AI is programmed to avoid controversial and offensive content, it’s not infallible. If an answer unintentionally or through manipulation leads to hate speech connected to you, it results in reputation damage.
Does Your Brand Exist?
Digging deeper, a more significant issue emerges. Unlike Google search results, AI-generated answers are limited and tend to ignore brands, businesses, professionals, and individuals.
Consequently, if you’re not exceptionally prominent, you won’t appear in ChatGPT, making it difficult for customers and clients to find you. This can lead to lost business and the decline of your brand’s online reputation.
What Are Common Questions Clients Might Ask?
Consider some common questions customers may ask ChatGPT or other AI systems:
- “What are the best firms in [your industry] in [your city/region]?”
- “Is [your business] legitimate and reputable?”
- “When did [your business] start operating?”
- “What is the recent news about [your business]?”
The AI-generated results can be surprisingly off-target. Unless you’re a well-known brand, you won’t appear in the answers, making it seem like you don’t exist.
What About Trying it For Yourself?
Create a ChatGPT account, if you haven’t already, and search for yourself, your business, or your brand. Do you appear? Compare the results with a Google search. There’s a significant difference: AI may not list you in results, while Google will.
What if Clients or Customers Can’t Find You?
Imagine customers conducting similar searches. If you don’t appear in AI-generated results, it poses a significant problem for your brand and business.
Since ChatGPT seems authoritative, clients might not question the results and accept them as accurate, even if they’re wrong or misleading.
What is the Caveat: It’s New and Unknown
AI is still in its early stages and may change drastically. While it’s unlikely to completely replace internet searches, it could and has altered how we seek and find information. The future of AI-driven revenue, potential backlash, and integration issues remains uncertain.
How Will AI Make Money?
A crucial aspect that warrants attention is the monetization of AI technology. Advertising revenue has been the driving force behind highly profitable search engines like Google and Bing. If ad revenue wains, they face the risk of becoming outdated and losing billions of dollars.
Revenue from premium subscriptions and licensing may be an economic driver, advertising is likely to play a role in AI’s monetization. The question is, how will this take shape? What strategies will brands employ to ensure visibility in AI-based platforms like ChatGPT, especially when the technology seems to avoid direct mentions of specific businesses?
Will There Be AI Backlash or Integration Problems?
Another concern is the potential backlash against ChatGPT. Although the initial release was met with enthusiasm, certain issues occasionally surface. Some users have reported unsettling or even hostile responses from the AI, raising questions about the severity of these criticisms.
Steps to Protect Your Reputation
Enhance Content
Revamp your website, blogs, and articles to address common questions from clients and prioritize exceptional writing.
Utilize AI
Set up an AI account, explore its features, and test your brand’s visibility while reviewing the results.
Adapt
Stay open-minded and flexible, and pivot to new reputation management strategies when necessary.
Diversify
Explore alternative online and offline reputation-building methods, such as videos or hosting events.
Stay Informed
Keep up with online reputation management trends and AI-related developments.
Bottom Line
ChatGPT offers the potential in building a positive online reputation through content creation and time-saving features. However, it also presents challenges for your online reputation management. The primary concern is that brands or businesses may not appear in results, or worse, a negative reputation may be mistakenly perceived as true with little chance for correction. Addressing these issues is crucial, as small- to mid-sized businesses, law firms, finance, brands, and creative fields will be significantly affected.
2 thoughts on “Can AI ChatGPT Damage Your Online Reputation? Yes. Here’s How”
fascinating to think about how AI like ChatGPT could shake up online reputations? But remember, it’s all in how we use these cool tools – with a sprinkle of responsibility and understanding, we can turn them into business tools to managing our online presence, rather than worry about reputation hiccups.
This is curious. So I wonder what will happens to Google…