Computer-generated writers B次元官网网址� writing computer-generated stories?
Sports Illustrated is the latest media company to see its reputation damaged by being less than forthcoming B次元官网网址� if not outright dishonest B次元官网网址� about who or what is writing its stories at the dawn of the artificial intelligence age.
The once-powerful publication said it was firing a company that produced articles for its website written under the byline of authors who apparently donB次元官网网址檛 exist. But it denied a published report that stories themselves were written by an artificial intelligence tool.
Earlier this year, experiments with AI went awry at both the Gannett newspaper chain and the CNET technology website. Many companies are testing the new technology at a time when human workers fear it could cost jobs. But the process is fraught in journalism, which builds and markets its values-based products around the notions of truth and transparency.
While thereB次元官网网址檚 nothing wrong in media companies experimenting with artificial intelligence, B次元官网网址渢he mistake is in trying to hide it, and in doing it poorly,B次元官网网址� said Tom Rosenstiel, a University of Maryland professor who teaches journalism ethics.
B次元官网网址淚f you want to be in the truth-telling business, which journalists claim they do, you shouldnB次元官网网址檛 tell lies,B次元官网网址� Rosenstiel said. B次元官网网址淎 secret is a form of lying.B次元官网网址�
CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS OF WHAT HAPPENED
Sports Illustrated, now run as a website and once-monthly publication by the Arena Group, at one time was a weekly in the Time Inc. stable of magazines known for its sterling writing. B次元官网网址淚ts ambitions were grand,B次元官网网址� said Jeff Jarvis, author of B次元官网网址淢agazine,B次元官网网址� a book he describes as an elegy for the industry.
On Monday, the Futurism website that Sports Illustrated used stories for product reviews that had authors it could not identify. Futurism found a picture of one author listed, Drew Ortiz, on a website that sells AI-generated portraits.
The magazineB次元官网网址檚 author profile said that B次元官网网址淒rew has spent much of his life outdoors, and is excited to guide you through his never-ending list of the best products to keep you from falling to the perils of nature.B次元官网网址�
Upon questioning Sports Illustrated, Futurism said all of the authors with AI-generated portraits disappeared from the magazineB次元官网网址檚 website. No explanation was offered.
Futurism quoted an unnamed person at the magazine who said artificial intelligence was used in the creation of some content as well B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渘o matter how much they say that itB次元官网网址檚 not.B次元官网网址�
Sports Illustrated said the articles in question were created by a third-party company, , which assured the magazine that they were written and edited by humans. AdVon had its writers use a pen name, B次元官网网址渁ctions we donB次元官网网址檛 condone,B次元官网网址� Sports Illustrated said.
B次元官网网址淲e are removing the content while our internal investigation continues and have since ended the partnership,B次元官网网址� the magazine said. A message to AdVon wasnB次元官网网址檛 immediately returned on Tuesday.
In , the Sports Illustrated Union said it was horrified by the Futurism story.
B次元官网网址淲e demand answers and transparency from Arena group management about what exactly has been published under the SI name,B次元官网网址� the union said. B次元官网网址淲e demand the company commit to adhering to basic journalistic standards, including not publishing computer-written stories by fake people.B次元官网网址�
NOT THE FIRST SUCH SITUATION
Gannett at some of its newspapers this summer in which AI was used to generate articles on high school sports events, after errors were discovered. The articles carried the byline B次元官网网址淟edeAI.B次元官网网址�
Some of the unpleasant publicity that resulted might have been avoided if the newspapers had been explicit about the role of technology, and how it helped create articles that journalists might not have been available to do, Jarvis said. Gannett said a lack of staff had nothing to do with the experiment.
This past winter, it was reported that CNET had about financial service topics attributed to B次元官网网址淐NET Money Staff.B次元官网网址� The only way for readers to learn that technology was involved in the writing was to click on that author attribution.
Only after its experiment was discovered and written about by other publications did CNET discuss it with readers. In , then-editor Connie Guglielmo said that 77 machine-generated stories were posted, and that several required corrections. The site subsequently made it more clear when AI is being used in story creation.
B次元官网网址淭he process may not always be easy or pretty, but weB次元官网网址檙e going to continue embracing it, and any new technology that we believe makes life better,B次元官网网址� Guglielmo wrote.
Other companies have been more up front about their experiments. Buzzfeed, for example, attributed a on Santa Barbara, Calif., to writer Emma Heegar and Buzzy the Robot, B次元官网网址渙ur creative AI assistant.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l be developing content that is AI-native B次元官网网址� cool new things that you couldnB次元官网网址檛 do at all without AI B次元官网网址� and things that are enhanced by AI but created by humans,B次元官网网址� Buzzfeed said in a note to readers.
The Associated Press has been using technology to assist in articles about financial earnings reports since 2014, and more recently in some sports stories. At the end of is a note that explains technologyB次元官网网址檚 role in its production, a spokeswoman said.
For instance, about an upcoming NBA matchup earlier this month had this note at the end: B次元官网网址淭he Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.B次元官网网址�
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