Following the exposure of the "poisoning" of AI large models via GEO at this year's 3·15 Gala, related GEO services have not only continued but have also taken on new forms. The Shenzhen Market Supervision Bureau recently announced an administrative penalty case concerning GEO, in which a minor service provider was fined 50,000 yuan for manipulating AI inclusion criteria and fabricating false rankings on a large scale. GEO services capitalize on the public's trust in AI, purporting to assist brands in creating digital assets that can be repeatedly utilized by large models, thereby achieving exponential growth.
Initially, GEO services had a low barrier to entry, and they could be effective by simply inundating various content platforms with mass-produced soft articles. However, as AI companies refined their inclusion algorithms, the tactic of overwhelming platforms with content lost its effectiveness, leading to the shutdown of numerous service providers.
Some practitioners have since developed GEO analysis systems to proactively discern the response patterns of large models and exploit inclusion criteria, a strategy that has gradually become widespread in the industry. This penalty underscores that even in the absence of false advertising, such practices may still amount to unfair competition against AI companies.
Looking ahead, the operating costs for GEO service providers are expected to continue escalating, potentially resulting in the elimination of a substantial number of practitioners due to financial constraints.