Futurism Investigation Reveals Use of Fake AI-Generated Authors
The renowned US sports magazine, Sports Illustrated, finds itself at the center of a brewing scandal. Allegations have emerged that the publication has been using articles authored by artificial intelligence.
A detailed investigation by the science and technology-focused Futurism revealed that Sports Illustrated had been publishing content under pseudonyms. These pseudonyms, complete with AI-generated biographies and headshots, were uncovered during the probe.
Highlighting a specific instance, the report mentions a so-called author, “Sora Tanaka”, who was represented as a product reviewer with a keen interest in fitness and nutrition. However, further scrutiny revealed that Sora Tanaka doesn’t exist in reality.
The Arena Group, which took over Sports Illustrated in 2019, has refuted these claims. They clarified that the contentious articles were actually commercial content produced by AdVon Commerce, a third-party advertiser.
However, the controversy doesn’t end with commercial content. Sports Illustrated also faces criticism for its regular articles, presumably written by AI. For example, an article about volleyball credited to “Drew Ortiz” followed a similar pattern as the Sora Tanaka case, with no actual writer behind the name.
Despite denials from the Arena Group, stating that the AI-generated articles allegation is inaccurate and that all questioned articles were human-written, the issue has raised concerns about journalistic credibility. This development is particularly critical for Sports Illustrated, a magazine that has earned journalism accolades in the past and is known for its iconic swimsuit issues and contributions from esteemed authors like William Faulkner and John Updike.
The use of AI in content creation isn’t limited to Sports Illustrated. BuzzFeed earlier announced its plans to integrate AI into its core business, already producing AI-written quizzes and travel guides.
The trend of adopting AI in journalism has sparked fears of an increase in dystopian content production. It offers a cost-effective alternative in an industry facing financial challenges, as evidenced by the recent layoffs and financial struggles at Sports Illustrated. The Arena Group’s CEO, Ross Levinsohn, had previously acknowledged the incorporation of AI, emphasizing its supplementary role to traditional journalism.
In contrast, other major news organizations like The New York Times and NBC have announced measures to create safeguards against non-human generated content. The Guardian has also expressed caution, with its editor-in-chief and CEO emphasizing the importance of reliability in journalism and the selective use of AI tools.
This situation underscores the evolving landscape of journalism and the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in content creation.
