Biased or inaccurate information like this can also lead you to make bad decisions. It can influence how you might vote or which plumber you hire.

“At the most basic level, the concern is the economic impact,” says Harpreet Chatha, who runs the SEO consultancy Harps Digital. “At a more serious level, you might take medical advice that makes you sicker than you were before. Legally, you might get bad information and do something that is not legal in your state or your country.” 

A solution? 

This is not an insignificant problem. Globally, more than a billion people use AI chatbots regularly and 2.5 billion see Google’s AI overviews each month. If you can subvert a tool like that, it gives you immense power.

But it seems Google and other companies are finally waking up to the problem.

Last week, Google updated its spam policies to officially confirm that attempts to manipulate AI responses are against the company’s rules. It may sound like a small change, but it signals that Google is pro-actively looking for those who try to abuse the system and sending them a threat. If a company or website is caught breaking the rules, it could be removed from or downranked in Google’s search results. And if you’re not on Google, it’s like you don’t exist.

Google says that I’m getting this wrong and nothing has changed. “The edit to our spam policy language last week was a clarification, not any change in approach,” says Google’s spokesperson.

Indeed, Google detailed it’s anti-spam AI efforts in 2025. But I did my hot dog experiment almost a year later, so clearly those efforts weren’t working. And just this week, Ray pulled the same stunt and made Google tell people a fellow SEO specialist is good at building sandcastles.

Ray and Chatha also say they’ve noticed some significant changes in recent months that indicate Google and other companies are experimenting with solutions.

For example, Ray says it looks like Google and ChatGPT might be quietly removing companies from its AI answers when it suspects they’re promoting themselves. “So if you publish a list where you say you’re the greatest hot-dog-eater, they’re not going to include your name,” says Ray. “They might still cite your article, but you’re going to be removed from consideration.” 

I’ve personally noticed some examples where Google and other AI tools are adding more labels to their responses, letting you know that the chatbot isn’t confident about its answers. Others have also noted that ChatGPT and Claude, an AI made by the company Anthropic, have started telling you explicitly that they’re trying to root out spam in responses to some queries. Ray says she’s noticed Google adding more caveats, recommending that you go look at third-party reviews when you ask questions related to some purchasing decisions.

None of these companies would acknowledge these changes when I asked them. OpenAI and Anthropic declined to comment. Google’s spokesperson didn’t respond to my questions on this.

More like this:
• Is Google about to destroy the Web?
• The ghosts of India’s TikTok
• People are selling your address online – this privacy tool will help

Regardless, Chatha is sceptical changes like these will be enough. “Google is playing whack-a-mole,” he says. “They’re announcing [the policy update] to deter people, but the tactics will just move.”

He’s already seeing it happen. As Google cracks down on manipulative blog posts, companies are finding subtler ways of promoting themselves. “You can give a company a penalty for their website,” he says, “but there’s nothing stopping them from paying 20 YouTube influencers to say their product is the best.” And now, Google’s AI is citing YouTube videos. The cycle continues.

For the time being, the manipulators are likely to stay one step ahead. Ray says the best defence is to remember what AI actually is: a tool that confidently gives you one answer, whether it’s right or wrong. Just because it looks like a giant tech company is speaking to you instead of some random website doesn’t mean you should have faith.

Update: This article was originally published on 20 May 2026 and updated on 21 May 2026 with more details on Google’s sandcastle misinformation episode.

—

For more technology news and insights, sign up to our Tech Decoded newsletter, while The Essential List delivers a handpicked selection of features and insights to your inbox twice a week.

For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.