The CEO of Sports Illustrated’s publisher, the Arena Group, was recently dismissed following revelations that the magazine had published content featuring AI-generated images and biographies. The board of directors announced the termination of CEO Ross Levinsohn’s contract and the appointment of Manoj Bhargava as the interim CEO to enhance the organization’s operational performance and revenue.
The incident involving AI-generated content in November, uncovered by Futurism, was not addressed in the official statement. Futurism uncovered fabricated information, including a persona named “Sora Tanaka” posing as a product expert. The Arena Group denied these claims, attributing the misinformation to AdVon Commerce, a third-party advertising company.
Despite the controversy, Sports Illustrated, acquired by the Arena Group in 2019, maintained that all disputed content was provided by AdVon Commerce. The company distanced itself from AdVon and removed the contentious material from its websites.
Sports Illustrated, renowned for its swimsuit editions featuring models and celebrities, has a rich history of publishing works by esteemed authors such as John Updike and William Faulkner. Former CEO Levinsohn had previously hinted at integrating AI into Sports Illustrated’s media operations, emphasizing that while AI can enhance business processes, it will not replace human creativity in journalism and storytelling.
Following the CEO’s dismissal, other key executives at Arena, including Andrew Kraft, Rob Barrett, and Julie Fenster, were also let go. Manoj Bhargava, the founder of the company behind 5-Hour Energy Drink, assumed leadership as the interim CEO.
