Some argue that Google’s termination of Appen, the provider of Search Quality Raters, could signal a new era for AI-driven superior raters, sparking significant speculation. However, the implications of these recent developments are clear.
Within the Search social media realm, two prevailing theories are being debated:
- Google no longer requires top-notch raters.
- Google might be aiming to standardize the utilization of AI for search quality rating following the dismissal of their current staff.
The Future of Search Quality Raters
Google’s search quality raters will not vanish. Google collaborates with various companies to deliver search quality rating services.
For example, discussions on Reddit mention Telus and RWS as purported providers of search quality raters for Google.
Hence, the notion that Google will cease using search quality raters is unfounded.
As per a Forbes report, some speculate that Google’s termination of Appen could be linked to the Google workers’ union advocating for higher wages for Appen employees.
Rumors suggest that if Google aims to cut costs, dismissing Appen employees, who are linked to the company’s salaried staff, would be a logical step.
However, this may simply be coincidental.
Google’s recent announcement of further layoffs, including engineering team members, suggests that the termination of Appen employees might be just a small part of broader cost-cutting measures.
The Rise of AI in Rater Roles
Speculation among webmasters suggests that Google’s move to dismiss Appen employees hints at the potential for AI to replace human raters.
While some search marketers believe Google currently lacks the capability to substitute AI for search quality raters, they anticipate this transition in the near future.
Furthermore, concerns have been raised that if AI supplants human raters, publishers could face challenges as AI scales quality ratings across the web.
The apprehension among webmasters regarding Google’s AI-driven quality raters overlooks the long-standing use of technology, including AI, in Google’s webpage ranking processes. Fears of a doomsday scenario and doubts about the feasibility of AI are unwarranted.
Google already employs various systems, such as the Good Content System, the Reviews System, and SpamBrain, to assess search quality on a large scale, indicating that AI replacing Search Quality Raters is not imminent; human involvement persists.
Nevertheless, Google is progressively integrating AI and advanced techniques to evaluate search quality on websites.
The Evolution of Search Quality Assessment
It is crucial to recognize that training AI necessitates data, and the tasks performed by search quality raters, beyond their primary role of rating search results, contribute valuable data for machine learning.
Currently, Google continues to rely on human search quality raters and has established mechanisms to evaluate website search performance.
The future remains promising, with ongoing advancements in SEO practices shaping another eventful year in the field.
