AI Writing
AI Generated Websites — How to Tell if a Site Was Made by AI
With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, AI generated website content is increasing. Get tips on how to tell if a website is AI-generated.
Whether you’re a website owner looking to expand your portfolio of online properties or researching a website, knowing how to spot an AI-generated website is beneficial.
AI has taken on a great deal of the heavy lifting involved in web development, from designing websites to automating content updates. So, how do you tell if you’re looking at an AI-generated website?
With AI involved in more facets of tech work, from creating YouTube videos to writing content, it’s no surprise that AI website generators have sprung up quickly.
These apps and tools promise to make short work of what is ordinarily a time-consuming, sometimes frustrating process, all while creating a design that looks good on multiple devices.
Sounds great, right? However, using AI can cause issues. For instance, if AI is used in a way that doesn’t comply with Google’s spam policies, it could result in ‘scaled content’ penalties.
If you’re a website buyer, you need to know you’re purchasing solid, high-quality content, a professional design, and a fully optimized site.
Despite the advances in artificial intelligence and its underlying components like machine learning, natural language processing, and ongoing training, there are still some underlying traces that indicate generative AI.
In some instances, AI-generated website content is surprisingly human-like. In a review of the most commonly used ChatGPT words, Originality.ai found that some of AI’s most frequent phrases or words were indistinguishable from human writing (examples: ‘but a’ and ‘for instance’).
However, content created by AI generally lacks the distinctive ‘human touch.’ It doesn’t capture a uniquely human style or perspective, or include personal anecdotes.
Additionally, AI can hallucinate or generate errors that it presents as fact. So, AI-generated content quality issues can stretch beyond a lack of personal expertise or style into misinformation.
Looking for a way to streamline your fact-checking process? Use the Originality.ai Site Scanner to detect AI content on your website, then further review information with our fact-checker.
AI chatbots have exploded in popularity because they mirror human-like interactions. Chatbots can answer questions in a similar style to humans and point customers to additional links or guides.
If automation is present in customer service, it could indicate that the website incorporates AI in other ways. However, it’s important to note that AI chatbots are often the first step in customer service before a human provides support. AI-powered customer service is a common way to help reduce a backlog of customer requests.
The takeaway? Although customer support may include AI chatbots as part of the process, it doesn’t necessarily mean the entire website is generated with AI.
AI-generated art is another way that AI is integrated into website designs.
Typically, AI generated website images are easier to spot than text. Although many AI models receive expansive training with written content, some are still learning how to handle images.
Look for signs of AI-generated images like:
Note: AI can be an excellent way to inspire creative projects or streamline graphic designs. The key is maintaining transparency with your audience in how you incorporate AI into your web design.
Like AI image creators, AI video generators are exceptionally popular. Indications that AI was used to generate videos for a website design include:
As with AI image creation, AI video generation has benefits. So, many popular social media platforms like YouTube encourage transparency with AI and video generation. Instead of banning AI content, sites like YouTube, prioritize adhering to community and content guidelines.
Want to take a peek under the hood of a webpage? Sometimes, you can spot signs in the source code that it’s an AI-generated website.
To see a site’s source code, simply right-click on the page and choose “View Page Source,” use the Windows shortcut Ctrl+U or Mac shortcut Cmd+Option+U. You’ll then see a new window with the HTML source code of the website.
Areas you’ll want to focus on include:
Just like AI-generated website content, AI can create user reviews. AI-generated user reviews can mislead the reader because they aren’t based on human experience.
AI-crafted reviews may use similar-sounding language with very few changes. They’re also often incredibly vague, as in “This is a great product, I highly recommend it.” without any specific details. Real human reviews often mention some specific aspect of the product, like its fit, color, or quality.
User reviews that only focus on the positives or negatives of the product may be a red flag. Most authentically human reviews include both.
Most websites use a combination of web design tools and technology. They are rarely static documents and typically incorporate a variety of systems, platforms, and products.
If the source code mentions WordPress, Joomla, Drupal or another CMS (Content Management System), that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s an AI generated website.
CMS systems are designed to help users manage content by providing areas to write, edit, and optimize content before scheduling posts. Additionally, they may host a forum or offer comment sections for discussions with the audience.
Looking for more insight into the content published on your website? Scan your entire website for AI-generated content in 1 click with Site Scan.
Many JavaScript libraries are used to create responsive websites (websites that reorganize themselves to look good and load quickly across devices). You might see names like Bootstrap, React, Angular, or Vue.js, which are popular choices. Using JavaScript libraries in a website is incredibly common and used by developers.
Templates and themes that give a website a uniform look and feel aren’t always a clue that AI is creating the site. Although there are platforms that offer generative AI templates or themes, AI doesn’t always make them.
Developers, web designers, and graphic designers contribute to template or theme libraries. So, review each template carefully to see if it specifies whether AI was used or it was a human creation.
Popular search engine optimization tools like Yoast, Ahrefs, Surfer SEO, and the Originality.ai Content Optimizer help users optimize sites for better search engine rankings. Although some of these tools are powered by AI, they are often used to assist rather than replace human content creation.
Web developers often use platforms like GitHub to manage program versions. This keeps code organized and enables human collaboration.
Different plugins and extensions extend the functionality of websites and range from improving search engine optimization to managing comments.
Using plugins and extensions is popular and doesn’t necessarily indicate AI use (unless it is specifically a generative AI plugin). For instance, WordPress offers a range of plugins for a variety of features and tools.
Originality’s AI detector scans pasted text from files or URLs to identify AI-generated content. Then, the Site Scan tool enables you to check for AI-generated content across your website in 1 click.
Considering the increase in AI use and continuous release of new models from Llama 3.1 to GPT-4o mini, transparency is essential when it comes to AI generated websites. Use Originality.ai’s Site Scan to review your website so you can ensure content is uniquely, authentically, and engagingly human.
