Another major publisher has confirmed that it uses artificial intelligence to create stories to increase its productivity.
Arena Group Holdings, a media company with brands like Sports Illustrated, TheStreet, Parade and Men’s Journal, says it has partnered with AI language startups Jasper and Nota to expand and accelerate its “AI-powered efforts.” These include training AI language models in the company’s archives to create stories that are then edited by humans.
For example, in the Men’s Journal, articles such as “Proven Tips to Help You Run Your Fastest Mile Ever” and “What All Men Should Know About Low Testosterone” were written using tools from OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT. Titles of articles are attributed to “Men’s Fitness Editors”, while a disclaimer at the top draws attention to the use of automated software.
While the language of the disclaimer is intended to provide assurances such as “editing,” “expert advice,” “reviewed and fact-checked,” we cannot say that this hybrid approach to authorship is infallible. Earlier this month, it was revealed that CNET has been silently publishing AI-generated articles after being pushed into disposition by its new owner, Red Ventures. However, when Red Ventures reviewed these articles after criticism for lack of proper disclosure, it found that more than half contained errors and needed correction. This was due to the tendency of AI language tools to generate plausible but inaccurate information.
Arena Group said it doesn’t want to displace journalists with increased use of AI, but instead wants to create corporate value for brands and partners. In a press release announcing the news, the company claimed that the use of artificial intelligence “increases workflow efficiency by more than 10 times the normal rate.”
The announcement comes after reports last week that BuzzFeed will use artificial intelligence to create and customize more content like quizzes in 2023. Arena Group shares also rose after the company announced the AI news, but that figure is still below the company’s share price at the end of January.
“Will working with AI enable us to create more content?” Levinsohn of Arena Group told The Wall Street Journal. Probably because you will have more time,” he said, adding: “This is not about ‘creating AI content and posting as much as possible’. Google will penalize you for this, and more does not mean better; better is better.”
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