Updated October 2026

The main risks of using ChatGPT to write content for your website are inaccurate information, generic content that Google will not reward, a loss of your brand voice and human touch, accidental copying and privacy problems if you paste in customer data. There is also a bigger shift: AI tools now answer many shoppers' questions directly, so fewer people click through to websites at all. Google does not penalise content just because AI helped write it. It penalises low-value content. Used as an assistant, with a human checking and adding real experience, ChatGPT can save you a lot of time.

We first published this post in February 2023, when ChatGPT was only a few months old. Some of our early concerns have played out, especially the one about AI replacing search, which Warrick talks about in the video below. This 2026 update covers what has changed and how South African online sellers can use AI without hurting their sales or their search rankings.

The risks at a glance

1. Inaccurate information

ChatGPT predicts likely words. It does not check facts. It can state a wrong price, invent a product feature, quote an outdated courier rate or make up a statistic. It will sound confident while doing it. Google's own guidance on generative AI content tells site owners to fact-check and review all AI-generated content, including titles, meta descriptions and image alt text.

For an online store this matters more than for most websites. You are responsible for what your product pages say. The Consumer Protection Act does not accept "the AI wrote it" as an excuse for a misleading claim. Be especially careful with sizes, materials, warranties, health claims and delivery times.

2. Generic content that does not rank

In 2023 there was talk that Google might penalise any site that used AI-generated content. That is not what happened. Google's position is that AI is fine if the result is helpful and original. What it does act against is "scaled content abuse": publishing many pages that add little value, whether AI or people wrote them.

The real risk is that AI content tends to repeat what is already online. If your blog post or product description says the same thing as ten other pages, Google has no reason to rank yours. Pages that show first-hand experience, such as your own photos, test results, customer questions and local knowledge, are the ones that stand out. For what currently helps an online store rank, see our complete guide to SEO for online stores in South Africa.

3. AI answering instead of clicking: the end of SEO?

When we first wrote this post, ChatGPT had just reached 100 million users in about two months. We warned that shoppers might start typing their questions into an AI bot instead of Google. We also said SEO could become less valuable as a result. Warrick explains the thinking in this video from 2023:

Three years later, that shift is well under way. ChatGPT reported more than 800 million weekly users in October 2025. Google now shows AI Overviews above the normal results for many searches. An Ahrefs study of 300,000 keywords found that when an AI Overview appears, the top-ranking page gets about 58% fewer clicks than expected.

So SEO has not ended, but it has changed. Ranking on Google still matters because AI tools often draw on the pages that rank well. The difference is that you now also need to be the source that AI tools quote and recommend. This is called generative engine optimisation (GEO). Our complete guide to GEO for online stores in South Africa and our post on how to get your online store recommended by ChatGPT explain what to do.

The other lesson from 2023 still applies: do not rely on one source of traffic. An email list, a WhatsApp audience and repeat customers are worth more than ever when search traffic is less predictable. See how to build an email list for your online store.

4. Lack of creativity

AI is good at producing average content quickly. It is not good at the unexpected angle, the memorable line or the idea that only someone who knows your customers would think of. When thousands of stores use the same tool with similar prompts, product descriptions and blog posts start to sound the same.

Use ChatGPT to brainstorm, outline and get past a blank page. Then add the creative part yourself: the hook, the story and the reason a shopper should choose you.

5. Plagiarism and copyright

ChatGPT is trained on huge amounts of existing content, so it can produce text that is very close to an existing article or a competitor's product description. AI image tools can also produce images that look like someone else's brand, character or photo. Publishing either can damage your credibility and, in some cases, lead to a copyright or trade mark dispute.

Rewrite AI drafts in your own words, run important pages through a plagiarism checker and use your own product photos wherever you can. Never ask AI to copy a competitor's listing.

6. Lack of human touch

People buy from people they trust. A human writer can share an opinion, admit a product's limits, tell the story of a customer or explain why they started the business. AI can imitate this, but readers increasingly recognise the tone of generic AI writing and trust it less.

Your experience is your advantage. Add the details only you know: what customers ask most, which products get returned and why. Also share what you have learned from selling in South Africa.

7. Losing your brand voice

Without guidance, ChatGPT writes in a neutral, slightly American style that may not match your brand. Over time, a site built on unedited AI drafts ends up with an inconsistent tone.

The fix is to give the tool clear instructions: a short style guide, examples of your best writing, words you use and words you avoid. Also say whether you write in British or American English. Then edit every draft before it goes live.

8. Privacy and POPIA

This risk was not on our original list, but it matters now that many sellers use AI for customer service and admin. If you paste customer names, addresses, order details or emails into a public AI tool, you may be sharing personal information with a third party. Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) you are responsible for protecting that information.

Remove personal details before you use AI to draft a reply, check the privacy settings of any AI tool you use and prefer business plans that do not use your data for training.

What AI is good for and what still needs you

For practical ideas, see our posts on 10 ways to use ChatGPT for an eCommerce store and the top 10 AI tools Shopify owners can use to increase sales.

How to use ChatGPT safely for website content

1. Start with your own knowledge: give the AI your notes, customer questions and product details.
2. Give it a style guide and examples so it writes in your voice.
3. Treat every output as a first draft, never as finished copy.
4. Fact-check prices, specs, legal points and statistics against the original source.
5. Add what only you can: real photos, results, opinions and local South African detail.
6. Check important pages for originality before publishing.
7. Keep personal customer information out of public AI tools.
8. Track your traffic from Google and AI tools. Keep building direct channels such as email and WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

Does Google penalise AI-generated content?

Not because AI was used. Google ranks content on how helpful and original it is. It does act against sites that publish large amounts of low-value content, which is the main risk of mass-producing pages with AI.

Can I use ChatGPT to write my product descriptions?

Yes, as a starting point. Give it accurate product details, then check every fact and edit the result so it sounds like your brand. Supplier descriptions that are simply rewritten by AI rarely stand out.

Has ChatGPT replaced SEO?

No, but it has changed it. Many shoppers now get answers from ChatGPT or Google's AI Overviews without clicking, so you need to rank on Google and also be a source that AI tools quote. This is known as GEO.

Should I tell customers that I used AI?

South Africa does not currently have a specific law requiring you to label AI-written text on your website. Google recommends explaining how content was created where readers would reasonably expect it. Google Merchant Center does require AI-generated product images and some AI-generated product data to be labelled.

Is it safe to paste customer emails into ChatGPT?

Only after removing personal information. Names, contact details and order information are protected under POPIA, so keep them out of public AI tools.

Use AI as your assistant, not your replacement

AI can help a small online store produce more content in less time, but the stores that win are the ones that add real experience, check their facts and build a relationship with their customers. If you want help growing your store, watch Warrick's free training on getting more sales from the visitors you already have.

Written or reviewed by Warrick Kernes, founder of Insaka eCommerce Academy and Shopify's 2021 Top Education Partner worldwide, based on 15+ years of selling online in South Africa.