The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought many benefits and challenges to various fields and industries. One of the most affected domains is journalism, where AI can be used to create, enhance, or manipulate content. However, not all uses of AI are ethical or transparent, as some publications have been caught using fake, AI-generated writers for their articles.

This article exposes how Sports Illustrated and Reviewed, two reputable platforms, have been involved in this scandal, and how a company called AdVon Commerce is behind the possible AI-generated content. It also explores the implications of this discovery for the integrity and authenticity of journalism in the digital age.

Sports Illustrated Discovery

Futurism’s investigation revealed that some of the authors they featured in articles published by Sports Illustrated were not real people, but fake identities created with AI. For example, “Drew Ortiz” was supposed to be a nature lover, and “Sora Tanaka” was a fitness and food fan. However, their photos were not genuine; instead, they were purchased from websites that sell AI-generated images.

Futurism discovered that many of the writers Sports Illustrated published were, in fact, fabricated personas generated using AI. For instance, “Drew Ortiz” and “Sora Tanaka” were not real individuals but rather fabricated identities accompanied by AI-generated photos. When Futurism attempted to contact these supposed authors, they vanished without a trace.

AdVon Commerce’s Connection

Futurism noticed a strange similarity between articles from Sports Illustrated and Reviewed. Both had disclaimers that said the editorial staff did not create the content, a weird coincidence that suggested a shared source.

Futurism discovered that AdVon Commerce was behind the possible AI-generated content for both Sports Illustrated and Reviewed. Gannett confessed that they worked with AdVon Commerce using different names, such as ASR Group Holdings. This made the story more complicated.

AdVon Commerce’s Involvement Unveiled

AdVon Commerce, a company that claims to offer ML/AI solutions for E-commerce, was a crucial part of this mysterious story. The investigation revealed links between the authors who used AI to write articles and the people who worked for AdVon Commerce.

A common email address among these writers was a direct clue that led to the profiles of AdVon Commerce employees on LinkedIn. AdVon Commerce did not respond to any requests for explanation, making the situation more suspicious and tense.

AdVon Commerce’s Content Controversy

The Arena Group’s spokesperson, Rachael Fink, confirmed that AdVon was responsible for creating some of their content. AdVon insisted that their content was written by humans, but a shocking discovery was made: some of their articles used fake or alternative names to protect the authors’ privacy. This discovery led The Arena Group to act quickly, removing the content and cutting off their relationship with AdVon Commerce.

AI Author Scandal

The question remains: Is AdVon Commerce secretly producing tons of AI-written content that pretends to be human-made? Or are these reputable publications ignoring the quality and originality of their content?

This discovery shows how easy it is to spot such misrepresented content, emphasizing the need for careful verification in the digital age. The revelation of AI-created authors not only poses ethical dilemmas but also shows the fragile balance between technological progress and journalistic honesty.

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Conclusion

The discovery of AI-generated writers posing as human authors on reputable platforms such as Sports Illustrated and Reviewed has sparked a controversy in the journalism industry. The investigation by Futurism revealed that a company called AdVon Commerce was behind the creation and distribution of this content, using fake identities and photos to mask their involvement.

This scandal raises serious questions about the ethics, transparency, and quality of content creation in the digital age, where AI can easily mimic human writing and deceive readers. It also exposes the vulnerability of publications to the infiltration of AI-generated content, and the need for more rigorous verification and accountability.