Sports Illustrated Under Scrutiny for Use of AI-Generated Fake News Authors

Sports Illustrated, a well-known magazine, is in hot water after accusations surfaced claiming it used artificial intelligence to create fictional authors and articles. Reports emerged after an investigation by the media, which pointed out that an author named Drew Ortiz, who is listed on Sports Illustrated's author biography page, appeared to have no existence outside of the magazine. This particular author had no social media footprint or previous publishing history, raising suspicions about his authenticity.

The picture used for Ortiz's profile bore a striking resemblance to AI-generated images, originating from a website that specializes in such content. The AI site, Generated Photos, markets images described with characteristics such as 'neutral white young-adult male with short brown hair and blue eyes', which closely matched the profile picture of Ortiz.

Fake Author Profiles

Upon further scrutiny by investigative reporters, Sports Illustrated was found to be not only fabricating the existence of Drew Ortiz but also other authors. One example is Sora Tanaka whose profile was removed and replaced shortly after Ortiz's profile was taken down. Like Ortiz, Tanaka's profile picture closely resembled those found on the AI website. This finding prompted concerns about an ongoing practice of using artificial intelligence to concoct temporary author personas.

AI in Journalism

The discussion around the use of AI-generated content in journalism is not new. In the past, reputable platforms have dabbled with AI for writing news articles. Reports from various outlets including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, document the experiments conducted by major companies in utilizing AI tools for article creation and pitching story ideas to journalists. Nevertheless, these companies, including tech giant Google, have firmly stated that the use of AI is not aimed at replacing the critical role of human journalists.

Amid these advancements, the revelation of possible AI-generated fake news by Sports Illustrated comes at a time when the issue of 'deepfakes' and misinformation is increasingly prevalent. The ethical considerations around AI-generated content and the transparency needed in journalism are now more pertinent than ever.

SportsIllustrated, AIAuthors, FakeNews