Researchers warn that most of the text we view online has been poorly translated into one or more languages—usually by a machine.

A ‘Shocking’ Amount of the Web Is Already AI-Translated Trash, Scientists Determine::Researchers warn that most of the text we view online has been poorly translated into one or more languages—usually by a machine.

  • Linssiili@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    56·
    5 months ago

    Recently I was looking for info (in finnish) how to prevent car windows from fogging. I found a really weird website all about car windows, but it kept confusing car and house windows. It instructed to clean car windows by “opening the window and cleaning between the panels”.

    It was obviously ai-generated, but I couldn’t figure out why. They weren’t selling anything, there were no ads and no links to other websites or services.

    Edit: I found the site again, I cannot spot anything nefarious, but proceed with caution: https://www.lasinvaihto.fi/

    • theluddite@lemmy.mlEnglish
      55·
      5 months ago

      It’s probably either waiting for approval to sell ads or was denied and they’re adding more stuff. Google has a virtual monopoly on ads, and their approval process can take 1-2 weeks. Google’s content policy basially demands that your site by full of generated trash to sell ads. I did a case study here, in which Google denied my popular and useful website for ads until I filled it with the lowest-quality generated trash imaginable. That might help clarify what’s up.

        • theluddite@lemmy.mlEnglish
          5·
          5 months ago

          Dates could be made up, too.The blog posts that I generated for my site included made up dates in the past. The internet archive says it has a snapshot for March of 2023, but when I click it, it says it doesn’t, so I have no way of verifying. The theory about parking real estate hoping to sell it also seems pretty plausible to me. Who knows what dumb shit they’re up to.

      • Lemminary@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        5 months ago

        Instead of feeling defeated, like every other millennial that doesn’t want to work,

        That is one weird glib to throw in there.

        • theluddite@lemmy.mlEnglish
          1·
          5 months ago

          My editor is an actual saint. Imagine all the shit that she has to put up with that gets cut if that made it through!

      • aubertlone@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        5 months ago

        Hey man! I’ve read this article a few times, perhaps from other comments on Lemmy!

        Thanks for the write-up. I’m a programmer myself.

        Stuck in operations in my new job until we’re done with the data center exit/ migration. Anyway cool beans, and very interesting article. Will keep all this in mind if any of my hobby projects take off.

    • jdf038@mander.xyzEnglish
      12·
      5 months ago

      Perhaps parking a site for traffic and then using the enshitified data to sell it?

      It makes me sick how dumb it sounds.

    • crazyCat@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      8·
      5 months ago

      People who care about SEO for their window-related businesses will pay the blog to link to them from there.