Breaking News: Sports Illustrated's AI Scandal Revealed
Published on: March 10, 2024
Sports Illustrated recently came under scrutiny for allegedly using artificial intelligence to generate web articles published under fictitious author names. This revelation, first reported by Futurism, emerged after noticing author headshots sourced from an AI-generated image website.
The Sports Illustrated Union expressed their dismay, stating that such practices contravene the core principles of journalism. They urged the company to adhere to basic journalistic standards, including the avoidance of computer-written stories by non-existent authors.
In response to the allegations, Arena Group, the owner of Sports Illustrated, terminated its relationship with Advon Commerce, the third-party content provider involved. Arena Group has initiated an internal investigation and removed the contentious content from Sports Illustrated's platform.
Advon Commerce, identified as an e-commerce company collaborating with retailers and publishers, has yet to comment on the issue. Arena Group countered the claims by stating that Advon Commerce had assured them of human involvement in the content creation process and the use of anti-plagiarism and anti-AI tools.
The controversy highlights the growing tension in the media industry regarding the use of generative AI. While some newsrooms have experimented with AI, there are concerns about the potential for spreading misinformation and the implications for journalistic integrity.
Sports Illustrated staff members, who have faced significant staff cuts in recent years, expressed their shock and disappointment on social media. Mitch Goldich, an editor at the magazine and union leader, emphasized the incident's detrimental impact on the credibility of their dedicated human journalists.