‘You won’t know if it’s a human or a bot’: Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma warns about AI-driven posts

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder and CEO of Paytm, has voiced apprehensions about the increasing prevalence of AI-generated content on social media platforms. Sharing his thoughts on X, Sharma referenced a report byThe Guardian that delves into the challenges posed by artificial intelligence in content creation.

“I wish we could filter posts by AI bots or humans. Sadly, soon, you won’t know if you are talking to a human or a bot,” Sharma remarked. Accompanying his statement, he shared screenshots showcasing Grok, X’s AI chatbot, suggesting Hindi-language inputs for his posts.

The rise of AI-generated content has ignited discussions about the proliferation of “AI slop” — a term used to describe low-quality text, images, and videos created by artificial intelligence. This phenomenon is increasingly visible across platforms, raising concerns over the authenticity and quality of online content.

A recent analysis conducted by the AI detection startup Originality AI sheds light on the scale of this issue. The study revealed that more than 54 per cent of longer English-language posts on LinkedIn, exceeding 100 words, are likely to be AI-generated. This trend has witnessed a significant surge since the advent of ChatGPT in early 2023, according to Originality AI CEO Jon Gillham.

The analysis, which reviewed a sample of 8,795 public LinkedIn posts published between January 2018 and October 2024, highlighted that AI-written content on LinkedIn was almost negligible until 2023. “The uptick happened when ChatGPT came out,” Gillham told WIRED.

Notably, the implications of this trend are far-reaching. While AI tools have undoubtedly made content creation more accessible, critics argue that they have also diluted originality and human creativity online. Sharma’s concerns echo those of experts who believe that distinguishing between human-generated and AI-generated content may become increasingly difficult, potentially eroding trust in online interactions.

As AI continues to evolve, the debate around its impact on digital spaces is likely to intensify, with calls for greater transparency and regulation in the use of such tools.