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G/O Media Incorporating AI-Generated Content

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Re: G/O Media Incorporating AI-Generated Content

#2
The internet is going to become bedlam and madness drowning in the noise of auto generated content.

This is just the beginning of the unfolding of an enormous set of unexpected consequences of AI.

FYI,I have written extensively on other disruptions that are likely coming

"We had hoped technology would replace monotonous tasks while leaving us more time for creative exploration. Instead we are getting exactly the opposite. It is replacing what humans love to do. Previously it had been thought that creativity would be the area untouchable by machines. Ironically, it seems to currently be one of AI’s most successful areas."

from https://www.mindprison.cc/p/ai-and-the-end-to-all-things

Re: G/O Media Incorporating AI-Generated Content

#3
My favorite passage: "Like the syndicated sports content that makes up much of Deadspin’s daily output, the presumption would be that AI-generated SEO articles like these would help pad the traffic stats of G/O’s sites. However, it’s safe to assume that Google is going to be fairly wary of this kind of useless content, especially since it’s full of inaccuracies and basic grammatical errors. The question quickly becomes “Who is this for?” and there doesn’t seem to be a good answer."

Re: G/O Media Incorporating AI-Generated Content

#4
I haven't been able to tell because most of the G/O sites I've frequented have been nothing but slideshows and "top X" lists for the past several months reaching new lows of Buzzfeed quality in the first place. Can they really go lower by switching to AI?

Re: G/O Media Incorporating AI-Generated Content

#5

My favorite passage: "Like the syndicated sports content that makes up much of Deadspin’s daily output, the presumption would be that AI-generated SEO articles like these would help pad the traffic stats of G/O’s sites. However, it’s safe to assume that Google is going to be fairly wary of this kind of useless content, especially since it’s full of inaccuracies and basic grammatical errors. The question quickly becom…

> “Who is this for?”

The answer is clear as daylight: this is for the shareholders. AI costs less than employee, we put employee money into our pockets instead, end of rationale.

The Capitalization of Everything is accelerating and it serves nothing but money.

Re: G/O Media Incorporating AI-Generated Content

#6
post #2

The internet is going to become bedlam and madness drowning in the noise of auto generated content. This is just the beginning of the unfolding of an enormous set of unexpected consequences of AI. FYI,I have written extensively on other disruptions that are likely coming "We had hoped technology would replace monotonous tasks while leaving us more time for creative exploration. Instead we are getting exactly the oppo…

>The internet is going to become bedlam and madness drowning in the noise of auto generated content.

I'm less pessimistic, simply because this content is trash. It's not just that it's inaccurate, it's also that it's uninteresting and repetitive. Who will consume it? If no one will consume it, who will host it, and for what purpose?

Re: G/O Media Incorporating AI-Generated Content

#7
post #6
post #2

The internet is going to become bedlam and madness drowning in the noise of auto generated content. This is just the beginning of the unfolding of an enormous set of unexpected consequences of AI. FYI,I have written extensively on other disruptions that are likely coming "We had hoped technology would replace monotonous tasks while leaving us more time for creative exploration. Instead we are getting exactly the oppo…

>The internet is going to become bedlam and madness drowning in the noise of auto generated content. I'm less pessimistic, simply because this content is trash. It's not just that it's inaccurate, it's also that it's uninteresting and repetitive. Who will consume it? If no one will consume it, who will host it, and for what purpose?

I agree.

I also keep thinking: If ChatGPT (etc.) can write such content, and I'm interested in it, then why won't I just ask ChatGPT for the information directly rather than going to someone's bloated website?

Re: G/O Media Incorporating AI-Generated Content

#8
Definitely not the move to publish AI-generated content without buy-in & oversight from the newsroom...

There are ways that AI can be additive, rather than stir up so much ill-will & controversy.

Rolling Stone, for example, experimented with AI openly & creatively in a way that builds connections between the writers and readers: https://www.businessside.co/p/rolling-stone-experiments-with...

Re: G/O Media Incorporating AI-Generated Content

#9
I think it's interesting that the comments from this are coming from James Whitbrook. I thought about writing a simple generator last month that would take any arbitrary movie, game or other media and write an outraged article based on the alignment with his personal political views. It really doesn't matter what the aligment is - it's simply predictable.

So what is the difference when the bot content comes from a human, or from a AI?

I'm mostly kidding here - but I think it's revealing exactly how devoid of value modern media is that some think that AI can replace it. I pay for NYT and WSJ - but the rest all seem to be little more then flame-bait ideology bubbles these days.

Re: G/O Media Incorporating AI-Generated Content

#10
post #4

I haven't been able to tell because most of the G/O sites I've frequented have been nothing but slideshows and "top X" lists for the past several months reaching new lows of Buzzfeed quality in the first place. Can they really go lower by switching to AI?

Buzzfeed's reporting division was actually good... Pulitzer good. May it rest in peace.

But in hindsight, reusing the name of the SEO trash parent was a terrible decision.

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