AI-powered infographic promoted on X mirrored a food blogger’s recipe, sparking accusations of content scraping and ethical concerns
Google Accused of Stealing Blog Content for AI Promotion
Google is once again in hot water over its AI content practices, this time for allegedly using a food blogger’s work without credit in a promotional post on X (formerly Twitter). The now-deleted post, shared by Google’s NotebookLM account, featured a recipe card infographic that users say was strikingly similar to a popular stuffing recipe from the blog HowSweetEats.
- The infographic presented a “Classic Buttery Herb Stuffing” as an AI-generated “family recipe.”
- X user Nate Hake quickly spotted the resemblance to the original blog content and flagged it online.
- The ingredients, structure, and tone were nearly identical, suggesting the AI had simply repackaged the recipe.
AI Model or Plagiarism Engine?
The post was likely generated using Google’s new Nano Banana Pro, described as the company’s most powerful image model yet.
- The model excels in infographic generation, and Google has heavily promoted its use for recipes and educational content.
- However, critics argue that the AI is not creating, but scraping and republishing human-made content—without attribution.
“Google has crossed the rubicon into publishing AI summaries that do not even link to the source websites at all,” said Nate Hake, an AI researcher and critic.
From Search Engine to Answer Engine
Hake emphasized the broader issue: Google’s shift from driving traffic to creators to owning the content ecosystem via AI.
- Historically, Google Search generated value for content creators by linking back to original sources.
- With AI, however, Google increasingly summarizes or reproduces content—keeping users on its platform and cutting off traffic to the sites that produced the information.
This tactic could erode the economic model of the open web, as content creators lose visibility, engagement, and monetization.
Quiet Deletion, No Accountability
Following public scrutiny, Google quietly deleted the offending NotebookLM post from X.
- No official apology or acknowledgment was issued.
- The move mirrors recent backlash faced by Microsoft, which also deleted an X post after promoting a non-functioning Copilot feature.
These missteps reflect a broader trend of careless AI marketing, where companies prioritize showcasing capabilities over respecting creators.
Ads Are Coming to AI-Generated Answers
Beyond copyright concerns, Google is also facing scrutiny over monetizing AI content.
- The company has confirmed it’s testing ads in AI-generated answers within Google Search.
- These ads appear alongside citations, making it hard to distinguish between organic results and paid promotions.
“If you thought Google was building AI just for innovation, you’re in for a shock,” critics warn.
OpenAI Following the Same Path
Google isn’t alone. OpenAI is also experimenting with ads in ChatGPT.
- Due to ChatGPT’s highly personalized, conversational format, such ads may have an even greater impact on consumer behavior than traditional search ads.
- Experts predict this trend will reshape how people discover products and services, shifting power from publishers to AI platforms.
Google quietly deleted a promotional X post after its AI-generated recipe infographic was found to closely mimic a food blogger’s original content without credit. The incident highlights growing ethical concerns over AI scraping and content ownership, especially as companies like Google and OpenAI test ads in AI-generated answers.
