We missed it earlier There has been an increase in the use of artificial intelligence to write articles published on websites that pass off as news websites, according to a report published by NewsGuard. These websites are known for churning out clickbait articles to optimise advertising revenue, the report added. What is NewsGuard: It is a popular tool that shows trust scores and ratings for more than 8,500 news and information websites on the internet. It can be installed as a browser extension as you search for news and information online. The company’s research in April 2023 found 49 websites entirely or mostly generating content by “artificial intelligence language models designed to mimic human communication”. They were in seven languages — Chinese, Czech, English, French, Portuguese, Tagalog, and Thai. It also highlighted that these websites put out a high volume (more than 100 sometimes) of content related to topics including, politics, health, entertainment, finance, and technology. It added that there is no clarity on who owns or controls these platforms. “Some of the content advances false narratives. Nearly all of the content features bland language and repetitive phrases, hallmarks of artificial intelligence,” reads the report. Why it matters: It is important to make note of this report, especially after a fake image of a bomb blast at the Pentagon generated by AI went viral. The image went viral across the world, leading to news channels picking it up as breaking news and causing the American stock market to plummet briefly. The report sheds light on the…
