Surprising New Study Reveals Humans Struggle to Spot AI-Generated Content, Says Nexcess

Younger generations were more likely to distinguish between AI and human elements.

Nexcess, the premium hosting provider optimized for WordPress, WooCommerce, and Magento, released a study on AI’s efficacy and humans’ ability to detect it in content and visuals. The study found that on average respondents could identify the AI-generated content only about 55% of the time.

How the study was conducted

One thousand individuals claiming to be moderately familiar with AI were provided with side-by-side sets of images and copy. For each set, they were asked to identify which was AI-generated and which was created by humans.

Participants correctly identified AI-generated copy 57% of the time, while the detection of AI-generated images had only a 53% success rate.

Success rates varied by participants’ ages. Younger generations tended to be more successful at detecting AI. Participants in the 18-24 age bracket answered correctly 61% of the time, compared to 51% of 45-54 year olds.

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AI usage and its effects in business

Tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Copy.ai have exploded in popularity. Usage of AI technology has piqued the interest of the public and businesses alike.

With promises of optimizing workflows and improving performance, it’s easy to see why businesses are interested. However, the business sector remains unclear on its effects on sales, user experience, and customer retention.

Nexcess conducted the study in order to assess how businesses can utilize AI technology to optimize and improve the performance of ecommerce stores.

The study found that participants were somewhat successful in correctly identifying AI-generated copy and imagery. Overall, participants were more likely to detect AI-generated copy over AI-generated visuals.

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Given the success rates of AI detection, business owners should proceed with caution — utilizing AI as a tool to increase efficiency, while also keeping a close eye on output. If used properly, AI tools can be instrumental in optimizing production and improving the performance of your ecommerce store

“It is intriguing to see the ways humans can identify AI — and the ways they cannot,” says Terry Trout, SVP of Marketing.

“We’re hoping that our AI study guides business owners in utilizing these tools, and understanding how AI is received by consumers. At Nexcess, we’re all about transformation and our goal is to help online business owners dream big and do more online,” adds Trout.

With an array of offerings spanning enterprise level to SMBs to starter markets, Nexcess supports sites and stores around the world with fully managed hosting for WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, and more.

“At Nexcess, we pride ourselves on helping organizations of all sizes start, manage, and expand their online businesses — and we’ve been doing it for 23 years,” adds Trout.

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