27-06-2025
How Tech Can Build Back Trust In The AI-Flooded Digital Age
Uriel Maslansky is the CEO and Co-Founder of Atly . getty
Every corner of the internet today is flooded with AI-generated content.
Sometimes this content is harmless—or even helpful. But AI remains prone to errors and misinformation continues to cloud the reliability of online advice. When users seek genuine human insights—like reviews for restaurants or experiences—they often encounter a frustrating mix of fake, outdated or low-quality information. The result is a minefield of content that's difficult to trust.
This is more than a hunch. Google recently uncovered more than 10,000 fake listings on Google Maps, from phantom businesses to hijacked legitimate accounts. No wonder trust in the internet is unraveling. Even Gen Z—often considered the most digitally fluent generation—is growing skeptical. One in three teens say GenAI makes it harder to trust the accuracy of what they read online.
So how can tech companies rebuild trust? They must either replicate the authenticity of real-world recommendations or successfully aggregate genuine, crowd-sourced insight at scale. The AI Content Flood
Tools like ChatGPT have made it easy to mass-produce content at scale. Product reviews, articles, social posts, and more are now often machine-generated—sometimes indistinguishably so.
An analysis of more than 300 million documents—including consumer complaints, press releases, job postings and even official communications from global institutions like the United Nations—revealed the growing spread of "AI Slop": content generated by AI that mimics legitimate material but ultimately misinforms, confuses or adds no real value. Declining Trust
As the slop pile grows, trust in traditional search and recommendation engines has eroded. In 2020, nearly half of consumers believed online reviews were manipulated by brands. By 2022, more than 80% said they were concerned about fake reviews—and that was before GenAI fully entered the scene. My company's recent survey found that one in three people have little to no trust in Google Map when it comes to recommending places that best fufill their needs.
Even though users know misinformation is an issue, many still assume platforms like Gemini or ChatGPT scan the internet to find the best answers. In reality, these systems often rely on just a few sources—sometimes even one—resulting in outdated, irrelevant or simply incorrect outputs. And that is assuming the content wasn't generated by AI in the first place.
Social media have also struggled with deepfakes, and AI-generated influencers and fake product endorsements. X (formerly Twitter) has come under fire for its proliferation of AI-generated accounts, while Instagram and TikTok are also seeing a rise in artificial engagement and impersonation. The Future Of Digital Trust: How Tech Must Adapt
In an era overwhelmed by synthetic content, users want credible sources they can actually rely on.
In the absence of trusted word-of-mouth recommendations, many users turn to identity-based communities—forums or platforms where verified members share firsthand experiences. For example, someone with Celiac disease might use a gluten-free dining forum to find restaurants that accommodate their needs.
Other users cross-check multiple sources to triangulate a consensus. A person looking for a new doctor in a city where they don't know anyone might read dozens of reviews across multiple platforms to find a name that pops up consistently. The more repetition they see, the more confident they feel.
How can tech platforms replicate this peace of mind?
• Prioritize human validation. Platforms that verify contributors— like LinkedIn's verified badges or Reddit's community-based contributor checks—will gain trust by proving recommendations come from real people with relevant interests or authority.
• Surface the consensus. Tools that aggregate multiple user-generated perspectives help users cross-check sources in one place, reducing time spent digging for repeated signals.
• Be transparent. Through content labelling, fact-checking and visible disclosures about AI involvement, platforms can give users more context—and more confidence in what they're reading. Trust Is A Must
The battle for trust isn't just about filtering AI-generated content. It's about changing how people find and vet information online in an era where trust is the internet's most valuable commodity.
Companies must recognize that sharing verified voices and surfacing authentic insights isn't just a user perk—it's a strategic advantage. Those who build with trust at the center will not only regain user confidence, but also lead in the new digital era.
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