AI Now Writes Half the Internet - But Humans Still Rank Higher
AI briefly crossed a key line in late 2024: it produced more new web articles than humans. According to Graphite's analysis of 65,000 English-language URLs from Common Crawl, 50.3% of new articles in November 2024 were primarily AI-written. Before ChatGPT, that figure was around 5%.
The volume surge has since cooled. Human and AI output now sit roughly 50-50, and the mix appears to have plateaued since May 2024. The takeaway for writers: scale alone isn't winning.
Ranking reality: human pages still win
Graphite's companion research found a ranking gap. In Google Search, 86% of top pages are human-written; only 14% are AI-generated. Among AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity, the ratio is similar: 82% human to 18% AI.
In short, AI floods the web with content. Humans still capture the clicks.
Why volume isn't visibility
- Search intent mismatch: Mass-produced articles often miss nuance and user intent.
- Thin insight: AI drafts repeat common knowledge without original angles, data, or expert input.
- Trust signals: Clear authorship, experience, and sourcing score with both readers and search systems.
- Redundancy penalty: The web doesn't need the 101st identical article. It needs specificity.
Method note (how the score was kept)
Graphite labeled an article "AI-generated" if at least half the content was flagged by Surfer's AI detector. The sample spanned January 2020 through May 2025 using open web data from Common Crawl.
What this means for working writers
The market has shifted from replacement to symbiosis. Graphite notes the most effective publishers integrate AI into workflows rather than swap out writers. That's the opportunity: ship faster, keep the human edge.
A practical workflow that blends speed with substance
- Briefs: Use AI to draft outlines, questions, and structure. You set the angle and audience.
- Research: Generate source lists and compare viewpoints. Then verify and add primary sources.
- Drafts: Co-write sections to beat blank-page syndrome. Rewrite for tone, clarity, and point of view.
- Proof and polish: Run passes for fact checks, claims, and examples. Add quotes, screenshots, and data.
- Differentiation: Inject lived experience, interviews, proprietary numbers, or original frameworks.
How to keep ranking in an AI-saturated SERP
- Match intent precisely: Cover the exact job your reader is trying to get done.
- Lead with outcomes: Clear takeaways, steps, and templates beat generic summaries.
- Build topical depth: Interlink related pieces to show authority on a niche, not everything.
- Prove experience: Cite sources, show working, include expert quotes, and link to references.
- Refresh on a schedule: Update data, examples, and links before competitors do.
Quality guardrails for AI-assisted writing
- Fact check every claim. AI can invent specifics under pressure.
- Keep a sources log. If you can't trace it, don't state it.
- Run plagiarism checks and rewrite anything close.
- Use your voice consistently. Style is a trust signal.
Editorial formats that outperform generic AI
- Original research: Surveys, datasets, and experiments.
- Field notes: Case studies, teardown analyses, before/after results.
- Service journalism: Checklists, calculators, worksheets, and scripts.
- Opinion with receipts: Contrarian takes backed by evidence.
Metrics to watch
- Search intent fit: Compare SERP features and top results to your outline before drafting.
- Depth signals: Outbound citations, expert quotes, and unique assets per piece.
- Engagement: Dwell time, scroll depth, and return visitors by topic.
- Update cadence: Days since last refresh on money pages.
What to automate vs. what to own
- Automate: Outlines, briefs, FAQs, meta data, examples generation, and variant headlines.
- Own: Argument, narrative, evidence, interviews, and final editing.
Policy context
Google prioritizes helpful content and clear expertise. AI-generated text is permitted if it serves users and meets quality standards. See guidelines from Google Search.
Bottom line
AI can write at scale. It can't replace your judgment, taste, and lived experience. Use the machine for speed, and keep the human for meaning. That's how you rank - and keep readers.
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