AI Content Farms Using OpenAI's ChatGPT for Fake News Stories
Recent reports suggest that AI chatbots are used in generating some of the clickbait headlines that one encounters on their Facebook feeds. Researchers have demonstrated that 49 news sites with articles generated by ChatGPT-style AI chatbots have been discovered. These websites covered topics from politics and technology to finance and celebrity news in seven languages.
The report was published by NewsGuard, a company that makes a browser extension that rates news websites' trustworthiness. However, none of the sites had acknowledged their use of artificial intelligence to generate stories. According to the report, regardless of the subject, the websites produced high volumes of low-quality content with ads littered throughout. This flood-the-zone approach is typically meant to maximize potential advertising revenue.
The majority of the content reviewed by NewsGuard focused on low-stakes content farming meant to generate easy clicks and ad revenue. However, some websites went a step further and shared potentially dangerous misinformation. For instance, CelebritiesDeaths.com posted an article claiming President Joe Biden had "passed away peacefully in his sleep" and had been succeeded by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Though it is unclear if OpenAI's ChatGPT played a role in all of the sites' articles, it is the most popular generative chatbot and enjoys the most name recognition. Nearly all of the websites identified used the robotic, soulless language anyone who has spent time with AI chatbots has become familiar with. Most of the AI-generated stories comprised summaries of articles from other prominent news organizations like CNN. In other words, no deep-dive explainers or investigative reports here.
When probed by NewsGuard, just two of the sites admitted to using AI. Administrators for one site said they used AI to generate content in some cases but said an editor ensured they were properly fact-checked before publishing.
The report provides concrete figures showing digital publishers’ growing interest in capitalizing on AI chatbots. However, it remains to be seen whether or not readers will accept the reality of AI writers. Earlier this year, tech news site CNET found itself in hot water for using ChatGPT-esque AI to generate dozens of low-quality articles, many riddled with errors, without informing its readers. The publication eventually had to issue a major correction and has spent the ensuing months as the poster child for how not to roll out AI-generated content.
However, the CNET debacle hasn't stopped other major publishers from flirting with generative AI. Last month, Insider Global Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Carlson sent a memo to staff saying the company would create a working group to look at AI tools that could be incorporated into reporters’ workflows. The select journalists will reportedly test using AI generated text in their stories as well as using the tool to draft outlines, prepare interview questions and experiment with headlines. Eventually, the company will reportedly roll out AI principles and best practices for the entire newsroom.
