Scale over Preference: The Impact of AI-Generated Content on Online Content Ecology
Organizations: University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. · National University of Singapore, Singapore. · Kuaishou Technology, Beijing, China. · The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Abstract
The rapid proliferation of Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC) is fundamentally restructuring online content ecologies, necessitating a rigorous examination of its behavioral and distributional implications. Leveraging a comprehensive longitudinal dataset comprising tens of millions of users from a leading Chinese video-sharing platform, this study elucidated the distinct creation and consumption behaviors characterizing AIGC versus Human-Generated Content (HGC). We identified a prevalent scale-over-preference dynamic, wherein AIGC creators achieve aggregate engagement comparable to HGC creators through high-volume production, despite a marked consumer preference for HGC. Deeper analysis uncovered the ability of the algorithmic content distribution mechanism in moderating these competing interests regarding AIGC. These findings advocated for the implementation of AIGC-sensitive distribution algorithms and precise governance frameworks to ensure the long-term health of the online content platforms.
Figures & tables
| Content Type | Mean | Std. Dev. | P25 | Median | P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIGC Video | 20.69 | 7.05 | 17.80 | 20.11 | 22.77 |
| HGC Video | 40.75 | 53.42 | 15.97 | 25.80 | 49.53 |
| Group | Feature | AIGC Creator | HGC Creator | SMD | VR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before Matching | Creator Follower Count | 31.33 | 32.58 | -0.0026 | 0.57 |
| Creator Video Uploads (14 days) | 19.96 | 4.98 | 0.1401 | 19.31 | |
| Creator Video Uploads (60 days) | 24.64 | 10.57 | 0.0624 | 17.61 | |
| Creator Total Play Hours (14 days) | 21.97 | 6.92 | 0.0801 | 1.31 | |
| Creator Total Play Hours (60 days) | 35.30 | 19.71 | 0.0412 | 1.36 | |
| Creator Total Play Count (14 days) | 11044.63 | 1670.50 | 0.1927 | 5.72 |
| Group | Feature | AIGC | HGC | SMD | VR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before Matching | Creator Follower Count | 935.20 | 1490.10 | -0.0731 | 0.39 |
| Creator Video Uploads (14 days) | 196.70 | 318.51 | -0.133 | 0.33 | |
| Creator Video Uploads (60 days) | 587.01 | 1141.83 | -0.1629 | 0.25 | |
| Creator Total Play Hours (14 days) | 242.32 | 2177.65 | -0.4238 | 0.04 | |
| Creator Total Play Hours (60 days) | 686.40 | 7295.51 | -0.4088 | 0.03 | |
| Creator Total Play Count (14 days) | 150476.74 | 1374554.76 | -0.3991 | 0.04 |
| Group | Feature | AIGC Videos | HGC Videos | SMD | VR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before Matching | Creator Follower Count | 594.53 | 2314.72 | -0.2587 | 0.14 |
| Creator Video Uploads (14 days) | 197.94 | 709.72 | -0.3679 | 0.08 | |
| Creator Video Uploads (60 days) | 591.63 | 2642.00 | -0.3754 | 0.05 | |
| Creator Total Play Hours (14 days) | 178.12 | 982.94 | -0.3098 | 0.09 | |
| Creator Total Play Hours (60 days) | 539.79 | 3887.15 | -0.3393 | 0.07 | |
| Creator Total Play Count (14 days) | 104990.54 | 346783.10 | -0.2180 | 0.22 |
| Group | Feature | Indiv. Feed. | Pop. Feed. | SMD | VR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before Matching | Consumer AIGC Play Hours (14 days) | 5.38 | 4.11 | 0.0358 | 0.40 |
| Consumer HGC Play Hours (14 days) | 77.08 | 73.73 | 0.0153 | 1.09 | |
| Consumer AIGC Play Count (14 days) | 4.84 | 4.54 | 0.0060 | 0.06 | |
| Consumer HGC Play Count (14 days) | 26.01 | 45.66 | -0.2454 | 0.29 | |
| Consumer AIGC Play Hours (60 days) | 13.57 | 12.75 | 0.0061 | 0.20 | |
| Consumer HGC Play Hours (60 days) | 276.38 | 310.71 | -0.0552 | 0.53 |
| Outcome Variable | Coef. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video Creation Volume (log1p) | 0.5548 ∗∗∗ | 0.0862 | 0.2635 | 0.2425 | 0.0488 | 0.0224 |
| Total Valid Views (log1p) | 0.0836 | 0.0004 | 0.0198 | 0.0000 | 0.0488 | 0.0105 |
| Total Full Views (log1p) | -0.1484 ∗ | 0.0013 | 0.0355 | 0.0077 | 0.0488 | 0.0114 |
| Outcome Variable | Coef. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid-View Rate | -0.0767 ∗∗∗ | 0.0188 | 0.1292 | 0.1236 | 0.0013 | 0.0010 |
| Full-View Rate | -0.0266 ∗∗∗ | 0.0065 | 0.0774 | 0.0715 | 0.0013 | 0.0008 |
| View Duration (s) | -2.2292 ∗∗∗ | 0.0071 | 0.0810 | 0.0751 | 0.0013 | 0.0006 |
| Outcome Variable | Coef. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-day Cumulative Exposure (log1p) | -1.7910 ∗∗∗ | 0.1330 | 0.3224 | 0.3202 | 0.0005 | 0.0021 |
| Days to Reach 90% 31-day Exposure | -5.3077 ∗∗∗ | 0.1438 | 0.3344 | 0.3322 | 0.0005 | 0.0005 |
| Outcome Variable | Coef. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIGC Exposure Share | 0.0202 ∗∗∗ | 0.0098 | 0.0948 | 0.0756 | 0.0210 | 0.0050 |
| Variables (First Difference) | ADF Test Statistic | KPSS Test Statistic |
|---|---|---|
| Median AIGC Exposure (31-day) | -15.76 ( )*** | 0.06 (0.100) |
| Median HGC Exposure (31-day) | -7.06 ( )*** | 0.04 (0.100) |
| Median AIGC Exposure (1-day) | -17.23 ( )*** | 0.10 (0.100) |
| Median HGC Exposure (1-day) | -11.84 ( )*** | 0.05 (0.100) |
| AIGC Supply Scale | -14.45 ( )*** | 0.07 (0.100) |
| HGC Supply Scale | -6.49 ( )*** | 0.09 (0.100) |
| Lag | Scale Exposure (1d) | Exposure (1d) Scale | Scale Exposure (31d) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-Stat | P-Value | Sig. | F-Stat | P-Value | Sig. | F-Stat | P-Value | Sig. | |
| Panel A: AIGC | |||||||||
| 1 | 0.700 | 0.404 | ns | 0.018 | 0.892 | ns | 2.787 | 0.105 | ns |
| 2 | 1.423 | 0.251 | ns | 0.318 | 0.693 | ns | 3.318 | 0.052 | ns |
| 3 | 6.212 | 0.012 | 0.339 | 0.752 | ns | 3.383 | 0.035 | ||
| 4 | 5.810 | 0.009 | ** | 0.479 | 0.691 | ns | 3.322 | 0.022 | |
| Exposure Tier | Low | Med.-Low | Med.-High | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variables | ( 10 views) | (11-100 views) | (101-1K views) | ( 1K views) |
| AIGC Supply Scale ( ) | 1.43*** | -0.02 | -1.37*** | -0.08*** |
| [1.10, 1.76] | [-0.25, 0.20] | [-1.63, -1.12] | [-0.09, -0.06] | |
| HGC Scale Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DOLS Lag Order | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Shin Test Statistic | 1.10 | 1.08 | 0.33 | 0.85 |
| Variables | Relative Median Exposure (AIGC to HGC) |
|---|---|
| Relative Consumer Preference for AIGC | 2.683*** |
| [1.663, 3.725] | |
| Relative Supply Scale of AIGC | -0.936*** |
| [-1.090, -0.794] | |
| DOLS Lag Order (AIC) | 4 |
| Shin Test Statistic | 0.138 |
| Outcome Types | AIGC Creator Outcomes | HGC Creator Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-View | Valid-View | Full-View | Valid-View | |
| Variables (Log) | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Own-type Scale Elasticity | 0.191 | 0.132 | 0.716*** | 0.508*** |
| [-0.039, 0.364] | [-0.046, 0.268] | [0.325, 1.092] | [0.211, 0.802] | |
| Cross-type Scale Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DOLS Lag Order (AIC) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| (1) Overall Full-View | (2) Overall Valid-View | |
| Variables (Log) | Rate | Rate |
| AIGC Supply | 0.026 | 0.025 |
| Scale (Elasticity) | [-0.054, 0.117] | [-0.028, 0.086] |
| HGC Supply | 0.256 | 0.040 |
| Scale (Elasticity) | [-0.114, 0.632] | [-0.198, 0.301] |
| DOLS Lag Order (AIC) | 0 | 0 |
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