I recently came across a chart that made me stop mid-scroll, and it should prompt every e-commerce business owner to pause.

Here’s the shocking revelation: over 40% of AI’s “facts” come from Reddit.

Yep, not peer-reviewed journals. Not expert-led whitepapers. Not even your competitors’ well-optimized blogs. Instead… threads where someone with the username CryptoKing420 might be your AI’s main “data source.”

Here’s the breakdown that shocked me:

So what does this mean for us in ecommerce and marketing?

The “intelligence” powering AI tools (the same ones writing ad copy, summarizing reviews, or analyzing your customer behaviour) is heavily influenced by platforms where anyone can post anything.

This isn’t about AI being wrong all the time. It’s about context. If your competitors understand how these sources bias AI outputs, they’ll use them to their advantage.

Here’s how you can stay ahead:

1. Feed AI the right sources: Don’t just ask ChatGPT for ideas. Upload your own product data, brand voice guides, and customer surveys. Make it drink from your well, not Reddit’s.

2. Audit AI outputs: Treat AI-generated copy like a junior intern’s draft: useful, but always needing review.

3. Leverage the gap: If Reddit, Quora, and Medium are what train the models… then guess what? Being active on those channels gives your brand an outsized voice.

If I had to boil it down: the brands that shape the data AI trains on will shape the market.

Scary? Absolutely.

Opportunistic? Even more so.

Now, let me ask you: are you comfortable with Reddit writing your next product description? Or is it time to take control of the narrative?

P.S. If you want me to break down exactly how to “feed” AI tools your ecommerce data for better outputs, hit reply, I might make that next week’s topic.

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