Recipe sites can often feel like MFA. They’re slideshow-heavy and jam-packed with ads. Now, according to new research, it seems AI is increasingly being used to scale those experiences in ways that might be questionable.
Media measurement and optimization company DoubleVerify has released a new new study showing that recipe sites–even a few very popular ones–increasingly relying on AI to generate text, images, and even author headshots.
To demonstrate this, DoubleVerify even used Midjourney to recreate several images from these sites, showing how easy it is to replicate the recipe content using generative AI.
The study focused on two sites, in particular: InsanelyGoodRecipes and MarketGrow. Notably, MarketGrow was publishing stock market news just a year ago before quietly pivoting to recipe content—likely because recipes are evergreen and less resource-intensive than dynamic news publishing.
Collectively, the sites attract millions of visitors per month. None of the AI-generated content appears to be labeled or disclosed.
Why This Matters:
More and more, consumers are pushing back against AI-generated content when there’s no explicit disclosure. Last week’s Vogue magazine backlash is just one example—but there are countless others. Research consistently shows that consumers expect clear, transparent disclosures when AI is used to create content they’re engaging with. If it’s revealed that the content was AI after the fact, they feel like they’ve been duped.
So, what about advertisers? Should they care whether the content their ads appear next to is AI-generated? Well, it depends.
In cases where AI content is low quality, misleading, or inaccurate, the risk is obvious. But what about higher-quality AI-generated content that still lacks disclosure? That’s the fuzzy gray area. And disclosure may be the key variable that determines consumer trust—and, by extension, brand suitability and content alignment.
Experts React:
According to DoubleVerify’s analysis, “As AI-generated content proliferates, advertisers need to ensure their ads appear on high-quality, brand-suitable inventory, not low-value, AI-driven content farms..”
The company also issued guidance for advertisers evaluating the suitability of recipe content for ad placements:
To better understand how DSPs and SSPs manage AI-generated content, advertisers may want to consider:
- How do the DSPs/SSPs identify and assess AI-generated content across their inventory?
- Do the DSPs/SSPs use a media effectiveness or measurement partner to evaluate content quality and engagement?
- What controls are in place to prevent ad placements on low-quality or AI-generated content farms?
- Do the DSPs/SSPs differentiate between AI-assisted editorial content and fully AI-generated sites with little to no human oversight?
- How do the DSPs/SSPs ensure AI-generated content meets brand suitability standards?
- Can we exclude sites that rely heavily on AI-generated content?
- How do the DSPs/SSPs address emerging AI content trends that could impact media quality?
- Do the DSPs/SSPs regularly audit and refresh your inventory to ensure we’re not buying low-quality AI-generated placements?
Our Take:
One thing is clear: AI is making it far easier to scale content farms.
In the past, recipe sites required actual expertise—cooking talent, food photography skills, and a human touch (with a personal spin on a recipe, perhaps). Today, it’s possible to use AI to fabricate author bios, generate entire recipes, and produce supporting visuals. This lowers the barrier to entry, but also opens the door to misleading content.
That’s a problem for legitimate creators in the space, who are being forced to compete with that volume. And it’s a problem for consumers, who will increasingly struggle to distinguish between authentic and AI-generated content—especially in categories like food and health, where accuracy matters.
Advertisers should tread carefully. Not all AI content is bad, but lack of disclosure and quality control can pose potential risks for reputation.
AdTechRadar is owned by Chris Harihar, who leads PR at Mod Op. DoubleVerify is a Mod Op client.
