Sign up to save tools and stay up to date with the latest in AI
bg
bg
1

How Beloved Indie Blog 'The Hairpin' Turned Into an AI Clickbait Farm

Jan 26, 2024 - wired.com
The article discusses the recent trend of media outlets shutting down or laying off staff, with a particular focus on the fate of The Hairpin, an indie women's website. After ceasing publication, The Hairpin was bought by Serbian DJ Nebojša Vujinović Vujo, who has filled the site with AI-generated articles to attract search engine traffic. The original articles have been reformatted and the authors' bylines replaced with generic male names. Vujo admits that the majority of the new posts are AI-generated and plans to add all previous authors back to the website in the future.

The article also highlights the importance of estate planning for media properties to avoid domain squatting. Choire Sicha, a former owner of The Hairpin, accepts responsibility for losing control of the domain. The article concludes by suggesting that this type of click farm is likely to increase, with experts predicting the web to be 90 percent full of generated noise. It advises writers and readers to save articles they want to see in the future as PDFs, as they may be replaced by AI-generated content.

Key takeaways:

  • Many media outlets, including Sports Illustrated and The Hairpin, are facing layoffs or shutdowns, with some being repurposed to host AI-generated articles.
  • The Hairpin's new owner, Nebojša Vujinović Vujo, admits that most of the new posts on the site are AI-generated and he plans to generate more such content.
  • Former owners and editors of The Hairpin express their disappointment and concern over the site's fate, with some of their original work being republished under AI-generated male bylines.
  • Experts predict that the web will be 90 percent full of generated noise, indicating that the trend of AI-generated content and click farms is on the rise.
View Full Article

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment!