Wired Got Rolled by an AI Freelancer
3 days ago
- #journalism
- #AI-generated content
- #media ethics
- WIRED editors frequently receive and reject AI-generated pitches.
- An AI-generated pitch about niche internet weddings slipped through and was published.
- The writer couldn't provide sufficient payment details, raising suspicions.
- AI-detection tools initially suggested the story was human-written.
- Further investigation revealed the story was an AI fabrication.
- WIRED retracted the story and issued an editor's note.
- The incident highlighted gaps in fact-checking and senior editorial review.
- AI poses new challenges for media by enabling convincing fake journalism.
- WIRED has taken steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.