At G2, we continue to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) by finding ways to work smarter and bringing new innovations to the market for software buyers and sellers.
While we recognize that AI can make significant and positive contributions to the world of reviews in different ways, AI-generated reviews are not accepted on G2, which is one of the ways we remain an authentic review platform.
Through our commitment to be the place you go for software, we keep our finger on the pulse of new trends like AI to ensure our users can be sure they are reading over 2.7 million real user reviews. We have a network of peer sites and marketplace communities that help us stay informed on how other organizations deter AI-generated fake reviews and protect consumers from the pitfalls these reviews could have.
One major way the fight against fake reviews and testimonials has progressed is with a new ruling by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
FTC ruling to ban fake reviews
On August 14, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission announced a final rule to combat fake reviews and testimonials by prohibiting their sale or purchase and allowing the agency to seek civil penalties against knowing violators.
Within this final rule is an announcement regarding fake or false customer reviews, customer testimonials, and celebrity testimonials. The rule states:
The final rule addresses reviews and testimonials that misrepresent that they are by someone who does not exist, such as AI-generated fake reviews, or who did not have actual experience with the business or its products or services, or that misrepresent the experience of the person giving it. It prohibits businesses from creating or selling such reviews or testimonials. It also prohibits them from buying such reviews, procuring them from company insiders, or disseminating such testimonials, when the business knew or should have known that the reviews or testimonials were fake or false.
Regarding this change, FTC Chair Lina M. Khan shared, “Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money, but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors. By strengthening the FTC’s toolkit to fight deceptive advertising, the final rule will protect Americans from getting cheated, put businesses that unlawfully game the system on notice, and promote markets that are fair, honest, and competitive.”
1. People rely on online reviews to make informed purchases and compare products.
When companies use fake reviews, consumers get misled and honest businesses lose out.
Today @FTC finalized a rule to prohibit fake reviews.
— Lina Khan (@linakhanFTC) August 14, 2024
In addition to the update regarding fake reviews, the rule also announced updates regarding buying positive or negative reviews, company-controlled review sites, insider reviews and customer testimonials, review suppression, and the misuse of fake social media indicators.
G2’s stance on generative AI and software reviews
At the heart of it all, we know that users trust the experiences of others, which is why we prioritize the quality of reviews over quantity. Buyers have come to trust G2 for researching and evaluating software because we do everything we can to guarantee authenticity, such as:
- Verifying the identity of every user on G2.
- Leveraging over 43 data points to assess authenticity.
- Vetting every review with a consistent and strict guideline.
G2 takes an unbiased approach to moderate reviews. It is our aim to ensure every review is the honest opinion of a real user and their own experience with a product or service. We also actively monitor for patterns that indicate fraudulent behavior. When such instances occur, we perform a thorough audit, take down the reviews in question, and implement adjustments to our product or operating procedures to prevent recurrence.
Because of our commitment to unbiased buyer feedback, reviews that use generative AI to write a majority of the content do not meet G2’s community guidelines. While we remain firm that reviews should come from real folks, the exception where AI tools can be used is to improve content for grammar, spelling, and readability, or to translate it from another language. Using AI writing assistants and other similar tools in these instances is allowed to augment content – but not generate it.
It’s also worth noting that G2 is carefully considering the benefits of incorporating AI tools into the review submission experience. Like how writing assistants can help reviewers, we’re constantly improving the overall submission process.
How G2 review moderation detects AI-generated content
Our team has a rigorous vetting and auditing process for all new review submissions. Because of the massive number of reviews we collect on any given day, we must use a thoughtful blend of best-in-class technology and well-trained team members with a discerning eye.
G2 uses leading third-party tools and services to detect AI-generated content in review submissions. Given our position as an unbiased marketplace, we won’t tip our hand on the specific technologies leveraged.
The tools at G2’s disposal are enterprise-grade content detection solutions that scan and flag AI-generated content and behavior. After flagging this content, our in-house team of moderators reviews these instances along with other factors to validate.
While AI content detectors and our machine learning model help flag fake reviews at scale, we also layer in the specialized expertise of our moderators to audit reviews that require more considerable evaluation. Our team is skilled at identifying patterns commonly associated with fraudulent activity and creating effective fraud prevention practices.
Reviews you can trust, even in the world of AI
There’s a good chance that the world will look much different in the coming years due to the continued advancements of generative AI technology. Countless content creators and brands must adapt and master these tools to stay competitive.
But for as much good as this technology can do, the same can be said for the harms it could potentially wield. G2 embraces and recognizes the tremendous upside generative AI presents. However, we still feel that reviews are only trustworthy when they come from the first-hand experiences of real people.
Because we believe in the power of authentic reviews, you can always count on G2 to champion the voice of the customer.
Learn more about review validity at G2 and how we prevent fake reviewers from engaging with our platform.
