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The Washington Post burns its own archive

Dec 12, 2024 - indignity.net
The article criticizes the Washington Post's implementation of an AI-driven search tool, "Ask the Post AI," which has replaced the traditional archive search system. The author, Tom Scocca, describes his frustrating experience trying to find recent coverage of Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defense secretary. The AI-generated responses were vague and unhelpful, offering a limited and unordered selection of articles. Scocca argues that the AI system, which is supposed to enhance user experience, instead creates barriers to accessing information, reflecting a broader trend of AI interventions complicating tasks that were once straightforward.

Scocca also discusses the broader implications of AI in media, suggesting that these systems prioritize the interests of AI companies over the needs of users and the integrity of journalism. He draws parallels to other industries, like automotive, where technology has been used to cut costs at the expense of user experience. The article concludes by highlighting the irony that to access the Washington Post's full archive, one must leave the Post's website and use an external database, ProQuest, which is only available to subscribers.

Key takeaways:

  • The Washington Post's new AI-driven archive search tool, "Ask the Post AI," is criticized for being ineffective and replacing a previously useful tool with a less functional one.
  • The AI system generates summaries and article lists based on relevancy rather than chronological order, making it difficult for users to find specific information.
  • The author expresses frustration with the increasing integration of AI into interfaces, which often complicates tasks that were once straightforward.
  • To access the full archive of the Washington Post, users must navigate to an external database, ProQuest, which requires a subscription.
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