How AI became an editor on the MSN portal, and why it caused a storm of indignation.
Microsoft criticized for publishing a large number of articles created by artificial intelligence on its MSN news portal. As CNN reports, after firing most of its editors, the company increased its bets on artificial intelligence (AI), investing $ 10 billion in ChatGPT's creator, OpenAI, earlier this year.
Using AI to create content, Microsoft has faced a number of scandals, including the publication and subsequent removal of a strange guide to Ottawa that advised visiting a food bank "on an empty stomach." After this incident, a Microsoft representative said that the article was removed and the review process is being investigated.
The situation worsened when an AI-generated survey was published next to The Guardian article about a woman found dead in Australia, in which readers were asked if the woman died from suicide, murder or an accident. After accusations from The Guardian articles of violating journalistic ethics, Microsoft disabled the polls feature and launched an investigation.
In addition, after switching to automation and abandoning the services of human editors, other dubious materials appeared on MSN, such as fictional stories about fishermen who caught a mermaid, and about meetings with Bigfoot.
Former MSN editors express their bewilderment. Rin Pfeuffer, a former MSN style editor who was fired in 2020, spoke to CNN about how important it was to be responsible for content, given the portal's millions of readers.
With Microsoft's move to a "personalized feed" customized by algorithms in 2020, the likelihood that millions of users will see poorly researched and easily refuted content has increased.
A Microsoft spokesperson said the company is committed to addressing the issue of low-quality articles and is working with content partners to meet the company's standards, especially after the recent survey scandal.
The question of whether the company's statements will lead to real action remains open. These developments raise concerns about the future of AI in the media industry, which is already experiencing economic difficulties.
Microsoft criticized for publishing a large number of articles created by artificial intelligence on its MSN news portal. As CNN reports, after firing most of its editors, the company increased its bets on artificial intelligence (AI), investing $ 10 billion in ChatGPT's creator, OpenAI, earlier this year.
Using AI to create content, Microsoft has faced a number of scandals, including the publication and subsequent removal of a strange guide to Ottawa that advised visiting a food bank "on an empty stomach." After this incident, a Microsoft representative said that the article was removed and the review process is being investigated.
The situation worsened when an AI-generated survey was published next to The Guardian article about a woman found dead in Australia, in which readers were asked if the woman died from suicide, murder or an accident. After accusations from The Guardian articles of violating journalistic ethics, Microsoft disabled the polls feature and launched an investigation.
In addition, after switching to automation and abandoning the services of human editors, other dubious materials appeared on MSN, such as fictional stories about fishermen who caught a mermaid, and about meetings with Bigfoot.
Former MSN editors express their bewilderment. Rin Pfeuffer, a former MSN style editor who was fired in 2020, spoke to CNN about how important it was to be responsible for content, given the portal's millions of readers.
With Microsoft's move to a "personalized feed" customized by algorithms in 2020, the likelihood that millions of users will see poorly researched and easily refuted content has increased.
A Microsoft spokesperson said the company is committed to addressing the issue of low-quality articles and is working with content partners to meet the company's standards, especially after the recent survey scandal.
The question of whether the company's statements will lead to real action remains open. These developments raise concerns about the future of AI in the media industry, which is already experiencing economic difficulties.
