In the past, Sports Illustrated was highly regarded for its exceptional storytelling, featuring acclaimed writers like Gary Smith and William Faulkner. However, recent developments have seen the publication shift towards using fictitious authors accompanied by AI-generated images.
A recent article made a claim that Sports Illustrated had published papers generated by AI. Our initial investigation has revealed this claim to be false. The articles in question were actually licensed content from AdVon Commerce, a third-party entity separate from our organization. These articles primarily consisted of product testimonials and were originally published on specific Arena sites. While conducting a routine review of our partnerships, these accusations surfaced. AdVon has confirmed that all the content attributed to them was created and curated by human writers. They maintain that their team of authors, editors, and researchers adheres to strict guidelines, employing anti-plagiarism and anti-AI measures in their content creation process. As a precautionary measure, we have taken down the disputed material pending an internal investigation and have terminated our association with AdVon. It has come to our attention that AdVon occasionally allowed writers to use pen names or aliases to safeguard their privacy, a practice that we do not endorse.
The parent company of Sports Illustrated has introduced more AI-generated content, incorporating false identities with AI-generated profile pictures, rather than transparently disclosing that the content was generated by AI algorithms.
According to reports from Futurism, The Arena Group, which owns prominent media platforms like Sports Illustrated and TheStreet, has been introducing a series of fabricated AI personas to present AI-generated content on their websites. These personas, such as “Drew Ortiz” and “Sora Tanaka,” were accompanied by detailed biographies depicting various interests ranging from fitness and nutrition to outdoor activities like camping and hunting. However, investigations revealed that the profile pictures associated with these personas were sourced from Generated Photos, a platform offering AI-generated images.
These fabricated profiles are part of a larger scheme to overlay human-like identities onto AI-generated content. Sources familiar with the matter stated that these professional profiles are routinely interchanged to create an illusion of diversity.
The content resulting from these AI-generated personas often includes listicles aimed at driving affiliate sales through embedded links. For example, one article from 2021 discusses the challenges of learning volleyball without access to a proper practice setup. It emphasizes the need for fundamental drills and equipment like a full-sized volleyball to master the game.
While some of these reports and patterns are still accessible through web archives, the Sports Illustrated website no longer hosts them. Following inquiries from media outlets, The Arena Group swiftly removed both the disputed content and the AI-generated personas. Despite attempts to reach out for comments, The Arena Group did not respond immediately.
The utilization of AI-generated personas in content creation appears to be an attempt to deceive readers into perceiving the information as authentic expert advice. Moreover, this strategy may also aim to manipulate search engine algorithms for improved visibility and advertising revenue. Several dubious websites have resorted to publishing AI-generated content or plagiarizing material to capitalize on advertising services like Google AdSense.
Concerns have been raised within the company regarding Google’s evaluation of their AI initiatives. Ross Levinsohn, CEO of Arena Group, highlighted the importance of quality over quantity in content creation, emphasizing that Google penalizes excessive posting of AI-generated content.
Google, on its part, prioritizes the quality and authenticity of information rather than the method of creation. The search engine giant has strict policies against promoting fake or plagiarized content. The use of AI-generated personas in product reviews could potentially circumvent systems designed to detect AI-generated content by adding a human touch to the narrative.
Despite various media organizations’ attempts to incorporate AI in content creation, many have faced challenges and setbacks. Red Ventures, the parent company of CNET, and Gannett, a media conglomerate owning numerous local newspapers, have encountered significant issues with AI-generated content, necessitating extensive corrections.
The Arena Group underwent significant restructuring in 2019 and during the recent transition to AI-generated content, resulting in employee layoffs. While the company initially assured that AI implementation would not lead to job losses, subsequent layoffs were attributed to a strategic shift towards wireless systems. This shift mirrors the recent decision by Popular Science to discontinue online publication in favor of investing in alternative formats like commerce and video initiatives.
Although Google does not mandate content to be exclusively human-generated for search result rankings, there is a growing concern that fake AI personas could exploit AI-generated content for monetary gains through AI advertisements. As Google permits advertisers to create ads using generative AI, the proliferation of fabricated AI personas poses a potential loophole in the system, challenging the integrity of online content creation and advertising practices.
