There are plans to:
(1) incorporate a better validation system. Suggestions have included having a basic peer ranking system, a tiered payment system depending on quality of articles, a simple system that just works from the basis of progressive payments over time as articles and therefore trust are built up. Personally I don't think it needs to become overly pedantic, although it's not up to me it will come down to a group decision, but yes as the number of contributors grows a more automated and assured means of assessing and apportioning payouts will be needed. It's a work in progress. It's actually quite good to see the numbers growing to the point where it's being talked about.

(2) build in revenue from page views and advertising. Done properly this should at least supplement (1) and perhaps as you say even supplant it further in the future, as well as giving an exchange bid to dvc. Again there are different issues. I could post hundreds of articles on the meme of the day and perhaps receive lots of hits, somebody else could quietly submit their treatise on workable home-based nuclear fusion that nobody notices. Should the first poster receive a greater payout than the second? Perhaps, but it depends what devtome is about. So there are obvious issues of quality vs quantity - the bulk of internet traffic probably isn't looking for quality but that doesn't mean quality isn't and shouldn't be valued (which is why some sort of validation and payment stemming from that is probably required as well). That's in addition to the basic question of rewarding volume etc.