AI Is Making It Impossible to Trust Product and App Reviews

I’ve always depended on reviews when downloading apps or buying products online. Honestly, if something doesn’t have at least four stars, I don’t waste my time with it. But now, thanks to AI, those reviews could be completely fake.

In research provided to Lifewire by digital ad verification company DoubleVerify, the company found that there are now three times more fake, ai-generated app reviews than in 2023. In one case, a reviewer posted an AI-created review that included the phrase, “I’m sorry, but as an AI language model…” In another, DoubleVerify found that over half the reviews on a streaming app were AI-generated fakes.

The problem has gotten so bad that in August, the FTC announced a federal ruling to combat fake reviews. “Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in the ruling announcement. “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.”

The ruling will put penalties into effect for companies found using AI-generated fake reviews, but that brings to mind the question of how those reviews can be found. Some, like the one mentioned above, are obviously AI-generated, but others may be harder to spot. It’s a problem that any organization that sells products or provides app downloads will face.

These AI-generated fake reviews are no longer just an annoyance. It’s getting harder to know if an app you’re downloading is some kind of malware, even if it’s highly rated. This means that each time you download an app, you’re putting your device and your privacy at risk. And where products are concerned, dozens or even hundreds of positive reviews won’t necessarily mean you’re getting a quality product.

Companies can fight back, and enterprises like DoubleVerify provide some helpful tools for organizations to tame the rampant growth of AI-generated fake reviews, but for consumers, that doesn’t give us much comfort. And if you’re like me, that means you’re likely to pull back on your willingness to download apps from just anywhere or buy products without some kind of hands-on review from a trusted source.

Ultimately, it’s just another hole in the wall that was consumer trust, and there doesn’t seem to be a solid fix in sight.