Computer-generated writers 香蕉视频直播� writing computer-generated stories?
Sports Illustrated is the latest media company to see its reputation damaged by being less than forthcoming 香蕉视频直播� if not outright dishonest 香蕉视频直播� 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 don香蕉视频直播檛 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 there香蕉视频直播檚 nothing wrong in media companies experimenting with artificial intelligence, 香蕉视频直播渢he mistake is in trying to hide it, and in doing it poorly,香蕉视频直播� said Tom Rosenstiel, a University of Maryland professor who teaches journalism ethics.
香蕉视频直播淚f you want to be in the truth-telling business, which journalists claim they do, you shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 tell lies,香蕉视频直播� Rosenstiel said. 香蕉视频直播淎 secret is a form of lying.香蕉视频直播�
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. 香蕉视频直播淚ts ambitions were grand,香蕉视频直播� said Jeff Jarvis, author of 香蕉视频直播淢agazine,香蕉视频直播� 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 magazine香蕉视频直播檚 author profile said that 香蕉视频直播淒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.香蕉视频直播�
Upon questioning Sports Illustrated, Futurism said all of the authors with AI-generated portraits disappeared from the magazine香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播渘o matter how much they say that it香蕉视频直播檚 not.香蕉视频直播�
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, 香蕉视频直播渁ctions we don香蕉视频直播檛 condone,香蕉视频直播� Sports Illustrated said.
香蕉视频直播淲e are removing the content while our internal investigation continues and have since ended the partnership,香蕉视频直播� the magazine said. A message to AdVon wasn香蕉视频直播檛 immediately returned on Tuesday.
In , the Sports Illustrated Union said it was horrified by the Futurism story.
香蕉视频直播淲e demand answers and transparency from Arena group management about what exactly has been published under the SI name,香蕉视频直播� the union said. 香蕉视频直播淲e demand the company commit to adhering to basic journalistic standards, including not publishing computer-written stories by fake people.香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播淟edeAI.香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播淐NET Money Staff.香蕉视频直播� 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.
香蕉视频直播淭he process may not always be easy or pretty, but we香蕉视频直播檙e going to continue embracing it, and any new technology that we believe makes life better,香蕉视频直播� 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, 香蕉视频直播渙ur creative AI assistant.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檒l be developing content that is AI-native 香蕉视频直播� cool new things that you couldn香蕉视频直播檛 do at all without AI 香蕉视频直播� and things that are enhanced by AI but created by humans,香蕉视频直播� 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 technology香蕉视频直播檚 role in its production, a spokeswoman said.
For instance, about an upcoming NBA matchup earlier this month had this note at the end: 香蕉视频直播淭he Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.香蕉视频直播�
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