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AI-generated articles prompt Wikipedia to downgrade CNET’s reliability rating

Mar 01, 2024 - arstechnica.com
Wikipedia has downgraded CNET's reliability rating due to the tech news outlet's use of AI-generated content. CNET began publishing articles written by an AI model in November 2022, which were later found to be full of plagiarism and errors. The issue was brought to light by Futurism in January 2023, causing CNET to pause the experiment. However, the damage to its reputation had already been done, leading to a discussion among Wikipedia editors and the subsequent downgrading of CNET's reliability rating.

The controversy also sparked a broader debate within the Wikipedia community about the reliability of other sources owned by Red Ventures, such as Bankrate and CreditCards.com, which also published AI-generated content around the same time. The lack of transparency about where and how AI was being used further eroded trust in these publications. In response, CNET issued a statement maintaining that it upholds high editorial standards and is not currently using AI to create new content.

Key takeaways:

  • Wikipedia has downgraded tech website CNET's reliability rating due to the impact of AI-generated content on the site's trustworthiness.
  • CNET began publishing articles written by an AI model in 2022, which were later found to be full of plagiarism and mistakes.
  • Wikipedia's Perennial Sources list now considers CNET 'generally unreliable' for the period between November 2022 and January 2023 due to the use of an AI tool to generate articles.
  • The issue with CNET's AI-generated content sparked a broader debate within the Wikipedia community about the reliability of sources owned by Red Ventures, such as Bankrate and CreditCards.com, which also published AI-generated content.
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