Journalism, as it has existed for centuries, is disappearing in the United States. First, local newspapers are closing by the dozens. Getting local news is becoming harder and harder to obtain. Second, even when a paper still exists, as this article describes, the stories it presents may not be written by actual journalists or even humans. Third, most people today seem to get what news they read from social media, where disinformation is the norm. The result is a population so ill-informed that democracy may not survive.
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The articles on a local news site popping up around the country appear to cover what any community outlet would focus on: crime, local politics, weather and happenings. “In-depth reporting about your home area,” the outlet’s slogan proudly declares.
But a closer look at the bylines populating the local site and a national network of others — Sarah Kim, Jake Rodriguez, Mitch M. Rosenthal — reveals a tiny badge with the words “AI.” These are not real bylines. In fact, the names don’t even belong to real humans. The articles were written with the use of artificial intelligence.
The outlet, Hoodline, is not the first or only news site to harness AI. News organizations across the world are grappling with how to take advantage of the rapidly developing technology, while also not being overrun by it.
But experts warn that relying too heavily on AI could wreck the credibility of news organizations and potentially supercharge the spread of misinformation if not kept in close check. Media companies integrating AI in news publishing have also seen it backfire, resulting in public embarrassments. […]
