When the iconic entertainment site The A.V. Club started publishing AI-generated articles earlier this summer at the directive of its owner, G/O Media, the backlash was intense.
"The A.V. Club used to be a benchmark for pop culture writing on the net and now it's a private equity ghost town pumping out AI generated listicles," wrote film journalist Luke Dunne. "MST3K" writer Tammy Golden called the move "sickening."
Amid the fallout, G/O editorial director Merrill Brown sent out an internal memo instructing staff to ignore the criticism.
"Several of us are very familiar with this kind of chatter as it's part of an inevitable media industry feedback loop that comes with the advance of new technologies like the Internet in the nineties and more recently the widespread use of streaming media technology," he wrote. "The best way to deal with industry chatter of this kind is to process it, dismiss the trivial and learn from what surfaces that's thoughtful and of real value."
So let's take Brown's advice and "dismiss the trivial" by going straight to the heart of all the hubbub: the AI's output.
To calibrate your expectations, here's the disclaimer that accompanies articles by the A.V. Club Bot: "This article is based on data from IMDb," it reads. "Text was compiled by an AI engine that was then reviewed and edited by the editorial staff." Its author page adds that "these stories were produced with the help of an AI engine."
You'd think that "based on" and "produced with" would imply something transformative happening a change of phrasing, a reworking in the outlet's tone, an addition of a spicy detail.
But it seems that "compiled" is doing a lot of work here. On our review, the bulk of the A.V. Club's AI-generated articles appear to be copied directly from IMDb. Not "based on," but copied verbatim.
Don't believe it? Take a look at the A.V. Club Bot's synopsis of 2003's "Young Adam," in its list of movies with NC-17 ratings.
A young drifter working on a river barge disrupts his employers' lives while hiding the fact that he knows more about a dead woman found in the river than he admits.
And then compare that to IMDb's description:
A young drifter working on a river barge disrupts his employers' lives while hiding the fact that he knows more about a dead woman found in the river than he admits.
Yep, that's right: every single word is exactly the same.
Let's really hammer it home. Here's the A.V. Club Bot's rundown of "Meg 2: The Trench," in its list of movies coming out in August:
A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation.
You'd think they'd mention the titular shark, right? But nope. And here's IMDb's version:
A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation.
Occasionally, the AI's output does slightly differ from what appears on IMDb. Here it is on "Jessica Frost," also from the list of August movies:
A young woman tries to discover why a time-traveling psychopath is after her, leading to a journey through the desert, time, space and her family's past.
And here's IMDb's, which is several words longer, yet substantively identical:
A young woman searching for the truth about why a time-traveling psychopath is after her, is thrown into a turbulent journey through the desert, time, space and her family's past.
What really foregrounds the insipidness of it all is that, in both the list of August movies and the list of NC-17 movies, there's no text beyond the lifted movie descriptions. There's no introduction to ease you in, no nod to the NC-17 rating's fascinating history or some tantalizing context about the summer's slate of releases none of the excellent writing, in other words, that's distinguished the A.V. Club's decades of exceptional work in entertainment journalism.
Still, let's give G/O credit where credit is due: mentioning the place you're copying content from is probably better than not mentioning it at all. But if G/O wants to lift content from IMDb word for word, it should say so without dressing it up in nebulous AI mystique.
In fact, it turns out that there's a deeper relationship between G/O and IMDb than is mentioned anywhere in the disclaimer. Reached with questions, both groups confirmed that G/O is licensing access to IMDb's cache of information about the movie industry.
"A/V Club [sic] licenses content from IMBD [sic]," a G/O spokesperson said in response to our questions, misspelling the names of both The A.V. Club and IMDb. "AI was used to search the massive IMBD [sic] library to cull the list that was used in the story."
That's a very vague answer, and one that unintentionally highlights the ridiculousness of the AI gold rush in media. If G/O's system is just querying IMDb's database and gluing the resulting data into a Frankenstein article, what exactly is the so-called "AI Engine" doing? What specific AI tech, if any, is the company using? From what we can tell, whatever the "AI" is doing in the A.V. Club's case could be achieved with a simple script cobbled together long before the advent of software like ChatGPT.
In response to further questions, the G/O spokesperson replied only that "our AI system leverages licensed data to recommend copy that is reviewed by editorial."
Who exactly is being served by these pasted-together collages of another site's content? It's not readers. IMDb, after all, already has its own lists of upcoming releases and NC-17 rated films made by users.
The reality, of course, is that G/O is almost certainly testing whether it can use this type of automated content to eliminate the jobs of its remaining human staffers.
It has a long history in that domain. And though G/O only began its AI experiment in July, the slow exsanguination of its excellent publications, including The Onion and Deadspin, had already begun years before. In 2019, newly appointed CEO Jim Spanfeller promised there would be no layoffs after private equity firm Great Hill Partners took over the company. Less than a week later, Spanfeller fired 25 employees.
This past June, in fact, Spanfeller gutted another 13 staffers just weeks before G/O would publish its first AI article at Gizmodo, an error-riddled listicle about Star Wars. And just last month, G/O sacked the staff of Gizmodo's Spanish-language site, replacing them with an AI system that automatically translates its English articles. (The translated articles quickly turned out to be filled with sloppy mistakes.)
As upsetting as it is, none of this should be surprising. Generative AI's inroads into the journalism industry has already frequently preceded human casualties.
The tech outlet CNET, which was one of the first prominent news sites to start publishing AI-generated content late last year, laid off half its news and video teams after its disastrous foray into the tech. A few months later, Insider followed suit with its own one-two punch of pivoting to AI and culling humans. And so did BuzzFeed, which shuttered its entire news operation in favor of AI-generated quizzes and articles.(All three publishers claimed the experiments with AI were unrelated to the layoffs.)
The results for readers have been poor. AI-generated articles from CNET and other Red Venture owned outlets were found to be filled with factual errors. Men's Journal butchered health claims in its first AI-generated piece. And an AI used by USA Today's owners couldn't even report fill-in-the-blank sports results properly.
Yet media bosses like Spanfeller and Brown remain unfazed, either genuinely believing AI's hype or perfidiously trying to conciliate their backers with shiny, sci-fi sounding tech that they don't understand. Or maybe they're just content with AI being a sort of muddyification filter of what boils down to copy-paste jobs even when it doesn't say anything original, and merely gives the impression that it does, hence the load-bearing "based on" in the A.V. Club Bot's disclaimer.
One thing is clear, and should've been clear from the beginning: these AIs, at least for now, simply can't do a writer's job.
Maybe the leadership at G/O is starting to notice. Almost two weeks into September, the A.V. Club Bot still hasn't followed up its list of August film releases with one for the new month.
More on AI: When AI Is Trained on AI-Generated Data, Strange Things Start to Happen
More:
The A.V. Club's AI-Generated Articles Are Copying Directly From IMDb - Futurism
- Alzheimer's May Spread Through Blood Transfusions, Scientists Find - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- So Much Polar Ice Is Melting That It's Slowing Down the Earth's Rotation - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Scientists Alarmed to Discover Microplastics in Ancient Archaeological Dig - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Crazed CEOs Adding AI to Home Appliances - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- NASA's First Artemis Moon Astronauts Will Bring Small Greenhouse to Lunar Surface - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Twitter Caught Selling Data to Government Spies While Complaining About Surveillance - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Scientist Who Gene-Edited Human Babies Back in the Lab Again After Prison Release - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Investigation Finds What Really Happens If You Actually Click Those PUSSYINBIO Links - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Reddit's Stock Is Already Collapsing - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Official NYC Chatbot Encouraging Small Businesses to Break the Law - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Marineland Under Investigation Amid 17 Beluga Deaths - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Experts Say Bridge Collapsed Because It Was Struck by Giant Ship - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- The James Webb's Beautiful Images Actually Arrive in Black and White - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- ChatGPT Use Linked to Memory Loss, Procrastination in Students - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Rich People Hiking Mount Everest Now Forced to Bring Their Poop Back With Them - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Cargo Giant That Took Out Bridge Had Silenced Whistleblower Who Warned About Safety - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Against All Odds, Japan's Toppled Moon Lander Is Still Alive - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- OpenAI Let Directors Make Short Films With Sora and the Results Are Wild - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Google Pushing Its Unsafe Search AI on Users Who Didn't Opt In - Futurism - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Microsoft's Super Bowl AI Ad Will Get Dumbest People You Know Absolutely Hyped - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Genes Aren't Actually the Blueprint of Life, Experts Say - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Tesla Driver Says He's Not Sure If He Killed a Pedestrian Because He Was on Autopilot - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Google Renames Its Forgettable AI in Fight to Stay Relevant - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Sierra Space Reveals "Star Wars"-Looking New Spaceship - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Sample From Distant Asteroid Shows Signs of Originating on Ocean World - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Facebook Exec Warned Zuckerberg Might Have Panic Attack and Faint - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Mounjaro Patients Show Hugely Improved Blood Pressure - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Wait, Did Elon Musk Just Hint He's Going to Buy Disney? - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Tesla Is Officially the Worst-Performing S&P 500 Stock of the Year - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Massive European Satellite to Plummet Back Down to Earth Uncontrollably - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- "Pro Life Spider Man" Tries to Climb the Sphere in Las Vegas, Gets Immediately Arrested - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Fusion Reactor Produces Record Amount of Energy in Final Experiment - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- If You Have Signs of Dementia, Doctors Found a Way to Help - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Fusion Facility Generates Twice the Power Put Into It - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Nicki Minaj, Who's Used AI, Decries Use of AI - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- NASA Spacecraft Swoops So Close to Io That It Can See Volcanic Eruptions - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Harvard Scientist Presents New Evidence That Samples Are Alien Spacecraft - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Transcript: The Futurist: The Rise of AI - The Washington Post - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Operator of AI-Powered Joe Biden Unmasked, Criminal Investigation Opened - Futurism - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Twitter Suddenly Suspends Journalists Critical of Elon Musk - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Experts Warn Against Strip Mining the Moon - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Satellites Show the East Coast Is Sinking - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Millions of Plastic Pellets Wash Up on Shore - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- We'd Like to See the Chain of Custody on Elon Musk's Pee After the Drug Allegations - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Scientists Working to Explain "Superstructures" on Ocean Floor - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Gaping Hole in Boeing 737 Linked to Stuffing More Passengers Into Flights - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Rejoice! Device That Sprays Your Butthole Now Connects to Alexa for Voice Control - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Wizards of the Coast Denies "Magic: The Gathering" Art Was AI-Generated, Then Admits It Was - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Zuckerberg Brags About Feeding Cows Macadamia Nuts and Beer at His Alleged Doomsday Bunker - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- People Close to Elon Musk Concerned About Alleged Drug Use, Slurring Words - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- SpaceX Sues Government Over Claim It Fired Employees for Criticizing Elon Musk - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Tesla Admits Its Cars Have Shorter Driving Range Than It Claimed - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Remember That Uber-Hyped "AI Pin" Startup? It's Already Doing Layoffs - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- The Mighty Cybertruck Keeps Getting Stuck in the Snow - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Robotics Expert Says AI Hype Is Due for a Brutal Reality Check - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Schoolteacher Finds Door Plug That Fell Off Boeing 737 in His Backyard - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Experts Alarmed After Large Piece Blows Off Boeing 737 Mid-Flight - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- SpaceX Releases Bizarre Video in Attempt to Prove Elon Wasn't on Drugs - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Scientists Have Been Studying Your Pee and They Finally Have Answers - Futurism - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- What should we expect in 2024? We asked three futurists - ISRAEL21c - January 4th, 2024 [January 4th, 2024]
- Partiers Attempt to Celebrate New Year's Twice With Flight Between Time Zones, Accidentally Land in Wrong Year - Futurism - January 4th, 2024 [January 4th, 2024]
- Adopted Child Accused of Secretly Being an Adult Takes DNA Test to Prove Age - Futurism - January 4th, 2024 [January 4th, 2024]
- Congress Receiving Mysterious Classified Briefing About UFOs - Futurism - January 4th, 2024 [January 4th, 2024]
- Driver Injured in First Cybertruck Crash - Futurism - January 4th, 2024 [January 4th, 2024]
- Kiki Goti STIRred 2023 with striking visions of maximalism and neo-futurism - STIRpad - January 4th, 2024 [January 4th, 2024]
- Scary AI Can Look at Photos and Figure Out Exactly Where They Were Taken - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Scientists Simulated Runaway Greenhouse Effect and It's Horrifying - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Jeff Bezos Discusses Plans for a Trillion People to Live in Huge Cylindrical Space Stations - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Car Dealership Disturbed When Its AI Is Caught Offering Chevys for $1 Each - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- DNA Tests Are a Fun Holiday Gift... Unless They Reveal a Horrifying Secret - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- NASA Proudly Shows Off Desiccated Tomatos Lost in Space Station Crevice - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Man Horrified When Someone Uses AI to Reword and Republish All His Content, Complete With New Errors - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- DeepMind Says Its AI Solved a Math Problem That Humans Were Stumped By - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Booze Affects Sperm More than a Month After Cessation in Mouse Research - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- There May Be Some Big Tech Names on the Unsealed Epstein List - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Teslas Crash More Than Any Other Brand, Analysis Finds - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Microsoft's Stuffing Talking Generative AI Into Your Car - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Those Scam Texts You're Getting Are Sent By Victims of Human Trafficking - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Tesla Driver Forced to Pay After Killing Two People on Autopilot - Futurism - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]