According to the research conducted by Futurism, it has been revealed that Sports Illustrated has been releasing AI-generated content while concealing this fact by attributing bylines and images to non-existent authors.
The investigation, which was made public on Tuesday, uncovered that a platform used to acquire AI-generated content featured numerous pieces attributed to SI writers. Despite efforts by Futurism to verify the authenticity of these authors, no concrete evidence could be found to confirm their existence beyond the confines of SI’s platform.
Furthermore, when clicking on these author names, users may be directed to author pages with fabricated biographies and lists of interests.
For example, a supposed writer named Drew Ortiz was depicted as someone who enjoys activities like “camping, hiking,” and “working on his family’s farm.” However, a simple search revealed that the image associated with this persona was labeled as a “neutral white young adult male with short brown hair and blue eyes.”
“There are many such instances,” remarked Utopianism. When questioned about the specifics, the response was dismissive, stating that the notion was baseless.
One of the fictitious descriptions found at the bottom of the page read, “Oh, John resides in Houston, Texas,” and mentions his fondness for playing outdoor games and spending time with his dog, Sam. The absurdity of these fabrications was evident.
According to Utopianism, Sports Illustrated frequently cycled through AI-generated writers, replacing the older personas with new ones while also altering the bylines on previous articles. It was noted that no disclosure regarding these changes was ever provided by SI.
Regrettably, this deceptive practice is not unique to Sports Illustrated. Similar tactics were uncovered at TheStreet, a financial publication under The Arena Group’s ownership, where an AI-generated article with numerous flaws was identified in February.
Despite Futurism’s attempts to seek clarification, The Arena Group remained unresponsive. Subsequently, the AI-generated writers previously featured on Sports Illustrated’s platform were promptly removed following the inquiry.
In response to the revelations published by Surrealism, the Sports Illustrated Union released a statement disassociating themselves from the production of AI-generated content.
In their statement, the SI Union expressed dismay, stating, “We, the members of the SI Union, are deeply troubled by the recent report on Surrealism’s website alleging the publication of AI-generated content by The Arena Group, the parent company of Sports Illustrated, under false bylines and author information.” They emphasized their commitment to journalistic integrity and expressed disappointment in being associated with such practices that undermine the trust of their audience.
The SI Union demanded transparency and accountability from The Arena Group’s management regarding the publication practices under the SI brand. They urged the company to uphold ethical standards by refraining from disseminating computer-generated content falsely attributed to non-existent individuals.
In response to the report by Futurism, the Sports Illustrated Union issued a statement via their Twitter account on November 27, 2023, denouncing the publication of AI-generated stories under false identities and calling for greater accountability from The Arena Group.
