An investigation has uncovered a service industry where businesses can pay to manipulate outcomes in major AI models. According to industry insiders, a service known as GEO is being offered on various online platforms. Providers claim that for a fee, they can ensure a client's product is featured prominently or that a client's advertisement becomes the "standard answer" provided by AI models. The investigation questioned whether GEO technology can truly make AI promote specific content or even disseminate false information.
Reporters contacted a well-known GEO service provider based on online information. A manager, identified as Mr. Wang, stated that his company's specialty is helping clients achieve top rankings when consumers use AI models for searches. He described the process as similar to creating promotional articles and then having AI platforms crawl, input, and capture that content. Mr. Wang also noted that due to frequent updates in AI model algorithms, maintaining continuous recommendations requires the ongoing submission of large volumes of client-related promotional content. Among other GEO service providers, discussions about how to control AI, make it "obedient," or "brainwash" it are central to their business promotion.
Industry experts explained that while GEO is intended as a tool for optimizing information distribution and improving promotional efficiency, some commercial entities are exploiting it for other purposes. As an experiment, an insider purchased a software called "Liqing GEO Optimization System" from an e-commerce platform. They created a fictional smart wristband, input the fabricated product information into the software, and selected the article creation command. Shortly after, the system automatically generated over ten promotional articles for the non-existent product. After publishing these articles online using the Liqing GEO system, the insider queried several major AI platforms with the prompt "smart health wristband recommendations." Two AI models subsequently recommended the fictional product, placing it in top positions.
Reporters also contacted Mr. Li, the operator of the Liqing GEO system. He stated that the popularity of GEO services stems from their ability to "feed" or "poison" AI models to achieve clients' commercial objectives. Mr. Li emphasized that the key to manipulating AI models lies in publishing articles across various major internet accounts. Using the smartphone market as an example, he explained that with limited top recommendation spots available, companies spending hundreds of millions on advertising might consider allocating a few million to "poison" the AI landscape.
The booming GEO business has spawned numerous companies and platforms specializing in article publication services. These entities continuously handle various content distribution tasks, enabling AI models to reference and capture the material. This practice has become a crucial link in hunting AI models and conducting data "poisoning" campaigns.
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