Gary Illyes from Google recently addressed whether AI-generated images, when combined with legitimate content, can affect search rankings. He discussed the potential SEO impact and highlighted a technical issue related to server resource usage that might arise. Does Google Penalize AI-Generated Images? How does Google treat AI-generated images found on web pages?Illyes responded to this question during a Q&A session, also noting that such images could potentially increase traffic from Google Image Search. The inquiry came around the ten-minute mark of an interview hosted by Kenichi Suzuki and available on YouTube. The question posed was: “If a piece of content is legitimate—the text is valid, and numerous images relevant to that content are included—but all images are AI-generated, will the content or the entire site be penalized?” This is an important question, especially since Google introduced an update about a year ago that seemed to downrank low-quality AI-generated content. Illyes clarified that AI-generated images do not lead to penalties and have no direct effect on SEO. His response was: “No, no. AI-generated images don’t impact SEO directly. Of course, adding images to your site requires server resources. . .

but beyond that, I don’t think you’ll see any negative effects. In fact, you might gain some traffic through image search or video search, but otherwise, it should be perfectly fine. ” Considerations Regarding AI-Generated Image Content Although Illyes did not address authenticity, it remains essential to consider when using AI-generated content. Authenticity matters to users, especially when they expect illustrations to truthfully represent real results or products. For instance, product images should accurately showcase what customers will receive, and photos of food should realistically depict the final dish after following a recipe. Google emphasizes creating content for users, suggesting that many SEO questions can be answered by anticipating user reactions. While Illyes did not touch on this aspect, publishers should keep it in mind if they want their content to resonate well with audiences. In summary, Gary Illyes’ remarks make it clear that AI-generated images will not negatively affect SEO. Further reading: Google Says AI-Generated Content Should Be Human Reviewed Watch the Q&A at around the 10-minute mark: Featured Image by Shutterstock/Besjunior