Does Google detect and penalise AI-generated content?

Short answer? No. Long answer? No, but…

Let’s get one thing clear: Google doesn’t care how your content was created.

It cares who it’s for and what it does.

So, if you’re panicking because your blog post had a little help from ChatGPT, take a deep breath. You’re not about to get shadow-banned by the algorithm gods.

But, and this is key: just because Google allows AI-generated content doesn’t mean it’ll rank AI-generated content. That’s where strategy comes in.

Google’s official stance on AI content

In 2023, Google updated its guidelines to say, “Using automation, including AI, to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking in search results is a violation of our spam policies.”

That means it will allow AI-generated content, but I won't rank or reward AI-generated SPAM.

If your content answers a question, is accurate and designed for humans, you're safe. If it's vague, repetitive, and makes no general sense, then you're wasting your energy for nothing. You'll get nothing from it.

Now, can Google detect AI-generated content?

Yes, but that's not the issue. Google, as you'd expect, has models that detect AI-written text, but it doesn't penalise it based on authorship. What matters is:

• Is the content useful to Google users?

• Is it original or just rephrased mambo jambo?

• Does it actually answer the query it's targeting?

Think of it like this: AI doesn't get you in trouble; lazy content does.

What makes AI content “bad” in Google’s eyes?

The following 5 things:

1. Doesn’t actually answer the search intent.

2. Stuffed with keywords but reads like soup.

3. Repetitive and dull just like a Wikipedia rewrite.

4. Offers no new value.

5. Feels robotic or out of context.

It’s not the source, it’s the quality. AI is a tool, not a strategy.

How to use AI without getting buried in the rankings

Here’s how we do it at decipher.:

1. Start with user intent: We don’t guess. We figure out what real people are asking, then structure content to answer that directly.
   
   

2. Human-first editing: We do on-brand copywriting that focuses on tone, clarity, and meaning. And that's because Google’s not the only one reading; your audiences are.

3. Optimise with structure: Clear H2s, bold intros, smart summaries, and FAQs = gold for both crawlers and AI systems like Gemini or Perplexity.