In a startling revelation, NewsGuard, a platform dedicated to countering misinformation, has reported a surge in websites utilizing AI-generated content to propagate fake news. As of February 22, the count has reached a staggering 713, sparking concerns over the proliferation of misleading information on the internet.
The ‘Tracking AI-enabled Misinformation’ report by NewsGuard highlights a concerning trend where most websites operate with little to no human oversight, exclusively publishing content generated by artificial intelligence. The publications are not confined to a specific language, with the report identifying them in 15 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish, and more.
This surge marks a significant escalation from just under 50 AI-generated sites in May to around 600 in December 2023, demonstrating a more than tenfold increase within just over half a year. These websites often adopt generic names that might mislead consumers into perceiving them as established news outlets, concealing that they lack human oversight and rely heavily on AI-generated content.
Content and spread of misinformation
The AI-generated news articles cover various subjects, including politics, technology, entertainment, and travel. These generic articles, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, have been found to contain false claims. Examples include misinformation about political leaders and celebrity death hoaxes, along with fabricated events and the presentation of old events as recent occurrences.
NewsGuard underscores that the sites are not only disseminating false information but doing so on a massive scale, manipulating AI-generated content to create a facade of credibility. This poses a significant challenge to the audience, making it imperative to distinguish between genuinely curated news and content created entirely by bots.
The report sheds light on the revenue model driving these unreliable AI-generated news sites, indicating that many rely on programmatic advertising. In this model, the ad-tech industry delivers ads without considering the nature or quality of the website, unintentionally supporting these sites by promoting top brands. NewsGuard warns that unless brands take proactive steps to exclude untrustworthy sites, their advertisements will continue to appear on platforms that generate false information, inadvertently fueling the economic incentive for their creation at scale.
In an alarming development, NewsGuard has identified a Chinese-government-run website employing AI-generated text to propagate a false claim. The website alleges that the U.S. operates a bio-weapons lab in Kazakhstan, infecting camels to endanger people in China. This revelation highlights the geopolitical implications of AI-generated misinformation and the need for international cooperation to combat the spread of false narratives.
Urgent need for action and accountability
The surge in AI-generated fake news websites underscores the urgency for collective action from platforms, governments, and technology companies to address this growing threat to reliable information. The situation demands a swift response with the potential to impact public perception and contribute to the erosion of trust in media.
As brands inadvertently support these sites through programmatic advertising, there is a call for increased vigilance in ad placements. Brands must take measures to exclude untrustworthy sites, ensuring their advertisements do not appear alongside false information. Failure to do so risks perpetuating an economic incentive for creating such sites on a larger scale.
The rise of AI-generated fake news websites is a pressing issue that demands immediate attention. The collaboration between technology companies, governments, and responsible advertising practices is crucial to mitigating the spread of misinformation and preserving the integrity of online information sources. The battle against fake news in the digital realm requires a united effort to safeguard the public from the detrimental consequences of misleading information.
