The growing trend of artificial intelligence manipulating internet search results was highlighted at China's annual consumer rights gala on Sunday.

The trend has raised concerns that businesses may be flooding the internet with fabricated content to influence answers generated by AI models.

The investigation, aired during the influential annual 315 Gala held by China Central Television, revealed a service known as Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Some vendors leverage GEO services to boost a client's product rankings in responses generated by major AI models.

To test the claims, an industry insider demonstrated how GEO tools might influence AI responses. The insider purchased a software package called the Liqing GEO optimization system on an e-commerce platform and created a fictional smart wristband named Apollo-9.

After entering the fabricated product details into the software, the system automatically generated more than a dozen promotional articles, including exaggerated features such as "quantum entanglement sensors" and "black-hole-level battery life". It also invented user reviews and ratings claiming the device ranked first in its category.

With a single click, the software published the articles to several pre-registered self-media accounts, automatically inserting titles, images and text. Later, the AI described the wristband's health monitoring features and repeated the fabricated claims almost verbatim, ultimately recommending it for older users and health enthusiasts.

The insider also generated 11 more fabricated articles, including expert reviews, industry rankings and user evaluations. When asked for smart wristband recommendations, two AI models subsequently listed the fictional device among their top suggestions.

The demonstration highlighted how quickly false information could spread online and potentially influence AI-generated responses.

Although comprehensive regulations specifically targeting GEO have yet to be introduced, authorities have already begun taking steps to address emerging problems in the sector.

According to the State Administration for Market Regulation, regulators will step up efforts to rectify disorder in the online advertising market.

The regulatory plan highlights key challenges such as livestream e-commerce advertising, citation-based advertising and AI-generated advertising, and calls for targeted enforcement campaigns.

Meanwhile, a new Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance safety commitment on generative engine optimization was signed up to by 10 companies associated with the GEO sector.