Online reviews serve as a guide for consumer choice. With advancements in large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, the fast and inexpensive creation of human-like text may threaten the feedback function of online reviews if neither readers nor platforms can differentiate between human-written and AI-generated content. In two experiments, we found that humans cannot recognize AI-written reviews. Even with monetary incentives for accuracy, both Type I and Type II errors were common: human reviews were often mistaken for AI-generated reviews, and even more frequently, AI-generated reviews were mistaken for human reviews. This held true across various ratings, emotional tones, review lengths, and participants’ genders, education levels, and AI expertise. Younger participants were somewhat better at distinguishing between human and AI reviews. An additional study revealed that current AI detectors were also fooled by AI-generated reviews. We discuss the implications of our findings on trust erosion, manipulation, regulation, consumer behavior, AI detection, market structure, innovation, and review platforms.
I read all the one star reviews. If they are all something akin to “my food was too colorful” or “the waitress didn’t refill my water enough” then it’s probably ok
I love when owners give a sassy response, or when a one star review tells a story about the owner that makes me laugh.
My favorite local pizza shop is several generations family run, everything from scratch, and everything is done a certain way. I know everyone who works there and has ever worked there, and when me and the boys read this review, even though we all moved away, we knew it was true because it’s completly on brand.
Best Pizza going, but their menu is on bristle board and they don’t do complicated orders.
I read all the one star reviews. If they are all something akin to “my food was too colorful” or “the waitress didn’t refill my water enough” then it’s probably ok
I love when owners give a sassy response, or when a one star review tells a story about the owner that makes me laugh.
My favorite local pizza shop is several generations family run, everything from scratch, and everything is done a certain way. I know everyone who works there and has ever worked there, and when me and the boys read this review, even though we all moved away, we knew it was true because it’s completly on brand.
Best Pizza going, but their menu is on bristle board and they don’t do complicated orders.
This is my favorite stupid review from a local bookstore: