AI Gets the Boot from Medium Partner Program (MPP)
Why you should not use artificial intelligence for your MPP stories.
If you use artificial intelligence and your article is AI-generated, do not put it behind the paywall.
The MPP program is a way for you to make money if you follow the guidelines that Medium has developed over the years.
What Is the Medium Partner Program?
“The Partner Program allows writers to earn money for the stories they publish on Medium based on engagement and activity from Medium members.”
You need to be a member to enter the MPP. There are two plans for becoming a member, which you can see below, but for the benefits you get, becoming a Medium Member is well worth it.
Medium shakes up writers’ worlds.
Medium is lenient on most of its policies. One exception is AI. It is only interested in having articles written by humans on its platform. You cannot qualify a robot as a human.
In addition, if you use artificial intelligence to write your article, you must clearly state that AI was used in the story's development. But we’ve always known that Medium’s rules are ever-evolving. How so?
AI is blocked from the Medium Partner Program.
Look at what Medium says:
“AI-generated or plagiarized stories: When the content and structure of stories and/or replies is plausibly determined to be generated by AI, accounts will be removed from the Partner Program permanently or temporarily.
This is determined on a case-by-case basis. AI-generated content is permissible in non-paywalled stories if it is disclosed—but it is no longer allowed in the Partner Program, even with disclosure.”
Fraud is a serious subject. Medium will not tolerate it and will do its best to eradicate it, even if it means suspension or revocation.
The good news is that the Medium Partner Program members will be paid more. Recently, the Trust and Safety team suspended roughly 1.7% of accounts involved in some sort of fraudulent activity.
Additional concerns
Does this mean you can’t use AI-generated images in MPP? Honestly, I don’t know. I have done a lot of research and couldn’t find any information that addresses this. However, I have commented on the blog asking for clarification on images and infographics. I will let everyone know if I hear anything back from Medium.
What about replies?
In case you missed it, I would like to draw your attention to the above statement from Medium.
“When the content and structure of stories and/or replies is plausibly determined to be generated by AI, accounts will be removed from the Partner Program permanently or temporarily.”
I almost missed the “and/or reply,” It’s easy to do.
What are my concluding thoughts?
Medium is adverse to AI-generated text, especially in the Medium Partner Program. Let’s look at some reasons why:
AI cheapens the overall effect of a good story.
Medium is all for story and article creation that humans write.
You could be likened to a fraudster if you use AI-generated text.
Quality is once again rising to the forefront of Medium.
Try to game the system and reap the possible consequences of suspension or revocation.
Original content will be preserved.
I am glad Medium has taken the stance it has. The bottom line is that Medium cares about both its writers and readers. Under Tony Stubblebine's guidance, the company has read the overwhelming comments, complaints, and praises that pour into headquarters daily.
While not everyone will agree with the company's stance on the Medium Partner Program, the benefits are far-reaching. The Company is firm in its focus on high quality, creativity, and originality—written by humans.
I, for one, am glad I joined this platform in 2021. At times, the ride has been a little rocky with multiple changes. It never follows a straight line, but if we are all patient, we will reap the benefits as a community.