A recent article on Surrealism’s website has ignited a debate among editors at a renowned American media outlet. The article claimed that Sports Illustrated’s website showcased articles and contributor profiles generated by artificial intelligence, along with author photos obtained from websites that offer AI images.
The Street.com, which was purchased by the Arena Group from co-founder Jim Cramer in 2019, was also mentioned for similar practices. Men’s Journal, another publication under the Arena Group, faced criticism earlier this year for publishing an AI-generated health essay that contained inaccuracies.
The Sports Illustrated Union, which represents the editorial team of the publication under the New Guild of New York, expressed concern regarding Futurism’s article. They called for accountability from the Arena Group management and stressed the significance of maintaining editorial integrity.
In response, the director of the Arena Group dismissed the allegations of AI-generated content, clarifying that the disputed articles were actually licensed product reviews from AdVon Commerce, a third-party entity. AdVon affirmed that human writers, editors, and researchers were involved in creating the content, following strict anti-plagiarism and anti-AI protocols. Nevertheless, it was disclosed that some authors opted for pseudonyms to safeguard their identities.
Subsequent to the investigation, Arena Group and AdVon terminated their collaboration. Sports Illustrated issued a statement to clarify that the content under scrutiny was not AI-generated but sourced from a third-party for product reviews.
The interaction between the SI Union and Arena Group underscores the significance of transparency and editorial standards in media outlets.
