AI Takes Over: Quartz’s Controversial Shift to Machine-Generated News
Staff Editor G/O Media Expands AI-Generated Content at Quartz, Raising Concerns
G/O Media, the parent company of Quartz, has expanded its use of artificial intelligence (AI) for content generation, sparking controversy and raising questions about journalistic integrity. The company has introduced AI-generated articles under the “Quartz Intelligence Newsroom” banner, moving beyond corporate earnings updates to full-fledged news articles.
While the AI-generated content comes with a disclaimer about potential inaccuracies and its experimental nature, several issues have emerged. One of the primary concerns is the AI’s failure to properly attribute sources, with examples of incorrect sourcing and repeated citation of other AI-generated content from sites like Devdiscourse.
Devdiscourse, an automated news site featuring AI-generated summaries, has become a frequent source for Quartz’s AI-generated articles. The site, which claims to be a media platform for development stakeholders, lacks human bylines and often includes poorly generated AI images with misspelled logos and gibberish text.
The limited human oversight at both Devdiscourse and Quartz’s Intelligence Desk has raised questions about editorial standards for AI-generated content. This is not G/O Media’s first foray into AI-generated content, with previous attempts across various brands resulting in error-ridden articles and machine translation issues.
Quartz’s human writers have expressed frustration and anger over the implementation of AI-generated content, citing concerns about quality and engagement. Some employees question G/O Media’s leadership priorities and worry about the impact on the reliability and reputation of their award-winning websites.
The expansion of AI-generated content at Quartz reflects a broader trend in the media industry, with ongoing pushback against AI use and concerns about potential threats to human journalism and content quality. As the debate continues, media companies must grapple with balancing technological innovation and maintaining journalistic standards.
