Google rewrites the titles of online articles with artificial intelligence?

Google's search results page is designed to propose the list of contents available on the web, depending on the keyword typed by the user, in an order that is obviously not random, but based on a complex algorithm capable of deciding, on the basis of numerous factors, which web pages to show higher than others, and assessing the user's search intentions, the relevance of the content, the authority of a domain, and much more. And if since the early 2000s, the Mountain View colossus has accustomed us to search and obtain very accurately any type of content on the web, with the advent of artificial intelligence something is changing: and perhaps not always correctly.

In fact, it is the website The Verge that has reported that Google is starting to replace news headlines in search results with artificial intelligence-generated versions: after a similar intervention applied to the Google Discover feed, the novelty is now also affecting the famous 10 blue links that appear in the so-called SERP or Search Engine Results Page.

According to the article published by journalist Sean Hollister, in fact, the headline - translated into Italian - 'I used the artificial intelligence tool 'cheats on everything' but it didn't help me cheat on anything' was allegedly changed by AI to 'Artificial intelligence tool cheats on everything', making it not only less suggestive, but even suggesting a recommendation of the product instead of a negative verdict.

As described by the source, Google's spokespersons are said to have stated that this is a small and limited experiment and that, at the moment, there are no plans for a broader expansion: however, it is unclear how limited the AI action really is and how many titles have already been changed.

Over the last few months, however, the editorial staff of the US website has seen articles appearing in search results more and more often with titles that were never written, and above all, far removed from the editorial style that distinguishes their content. Google has stated that the aim is to identify content on the page that can be useful and relevant headlines for the user's search intention, but has not explained why it is no longer using the so-called headline 'tags' that it has for years urged editorial staff to insert. And if until now changes to headlines could be made but were minimal and often irrelevant - perhaps linked to technical requirements such as length or optimisation - a radical change to the title would instead risk profoundly altering the perception of the content and the work of the journalist. Distorting a headline, in fact, does not only mean intervening on the form but could affect the substance, influencing the way in which the reader interprets the news: in this scenario, journalism would lose part of its credibility because the implicit pact of transparency and coherence between headline and text, a fundamental element for maintaining public trust, would be broken.