Oct 13, 2025

Major League Soccer publishes AI-generated match summaries without human review

Major League Soccer has quietly launched AI-generated match summaries that are published without human editorial review, sparking widespread criticism from fans and sports journalists. The automated recaps, clearly labeled as "Created by MLS Generative AI," represent a cost-cutting measure that critics argue undermines authentic sports journalism and threatens writing jobs in the industry. What you should know: MLS published at least two AI-generated match summaries on Saturday night, with disclaimers noting the content "has not been reviewed by editorial staff." The league published recaps for Inter Miami CF versus Atlanta United (9:34 p.m. Eastern) and Orlando City SC versus the...

read Oct 1, 2025

Only 9% of Americans regularly get news from AI chatbots, reveals Pew survey

A new Pew Research Center survey reveals that only 9% of U.S. adults regularly get news from AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini, with just 2% doing so often and 7% sometimes. The findings suggest that despite growing chatbot adoption, these AI tools have not yet established themselves as mainstream news sources, with 75% of Americans never using them for news consumption. What you should know: The majority of Americans remain skeptical about using AI chatbots as news sources, preferring traditional media outlets.• About 16% of adults use chatbots rarely for news, while three-quarters never do so at all.• Fewer...

read Sep 22, 2025

Gang of Eight: NY Times AI team to tackle massive data investigations

The New York Times has built a specialized AI team of eight people, led by editorial director Zach Seward, to help reporters tackle complex investigations involving massive datasets that were previously impossible to analyze manually. The initiative represents one of the most structured approaches to AI integration in newsrooms, focusing on research and investigations rather than content generation. What you should know: Seward's team primarily uses AI for semantic search and data analysis to help reporters process enormous amounts of information under tight deadlines. The team includes four engineers, a product designer, and two editors who work directly with reporters...

read Aug 21, 2025

Wired, Business Insider publish AI-generated articles under fake bylines

Renowned tech publications Wired and Business Insider were caught publishing AI-generated articles under the fake byline "Margaux Blanchard," exposing how sophisticated AI content is infiltrating mainstream journalism. The incident highlights a growing crisis where AI-generated "slop" is eroding trust in online media, with human editors at reputable outlets falling victim to increasingly convincing automated content. What happened: Multiple publications discovered they had been duped by AI-generated articles submitted under a fictitious journalist's name. Wired published "They Fell in Love Playing Minecraft. Then the Game Became Their Wedding Venue," which referenced a non-existent 34-year-old ordained officiant in Chicago. Business Insider ran...

read Aug 18, 2025

New data reveals Google AI summaries cut publisher traffic 10%

Google's AI Summaries have caused significant traffic declines for major publishers, with median year-over-year referral traffic from Google Search dropping 10% in just eight weeks, according to new data from Digital Content Next (DCN). The nonprofit, which represents household names like The New York Times, Bloomberg, and NBC News, warns that AI-generated summaries could lead to "fewer sources, weaker journalism, and a less informed public" as publishers struggle with reduced click-through rates. The big picture: Google's AI Overviews, which began their nationwide rollout in May 2024, are fundamentally changing how users interact with search results—and not in publishers' favor. The...

read Aug 11, 2025

UK freelance journalism income falls 66%, concentrates in London while AI poses new threats

Freelance journalists in the UK are earning 66% less than they did 15 years ago, with average annual earnings now at just £7,000, while facing new threats from generative AI that could further undermine their profession. A recent roundtable convened by the New Statesman and the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), a UK organization that collects licensing fees for writers, explored how to create sustainable futures for freelance journalism amid these mounting economic pressures and technological disruptions. The big picture: The journalism industry is experiencing a perfect storm of declining revenues, increased reliance on freelance labor, and emerging AI...

read Aug 8, 2025

WIRED reveals AI chatbot pricing is based on “vibes,” not economics

AI premium chatbot subscriptions like ChatGPT Pro and Claude Max cost around $200 per month, but their pricing appears to be based more on market positioning than actual economics. WIRED's investigation revealed that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman essentially set the $200 benchmark when launching ChatGPT Pro, and competitors simply followed suit—despite none of these companies claiming to profit from these premium tiers. What you should know: The $200 price point emerged through "vibes-based pricing" rather than careful financial analysis. OpenAI's ChatGPT Pro launched first at $200 monthly, with CEO Sam Altman openly acknowledging they weren't making money on the service...

read Aug 6, 2025

Art of the Steal: News Corp warns AI is cannibalizing Trump’s book sales

News Corp is warning Donald Trump that artificial intelligence is cannibalizing sales of his books, including The Art of the Deal, by allowing AI systems to profit from his intellectual property without permission. The media conglomerate owned by Rupert Murdoch used its earnings report to highlight how AI companies are undermining book sales across the publishing industry, even affecting high-profile authors like the president. What they're saying: News Corp delivered a pointed message about AI's impact on intellectual property rights in its fourth-quarter earnings statement. "The AI age must cherish the value of intellectual property if we are collectively to...

read Aug 5, 2025

Former CNN anchor’s AI interview with Parkland victim sparks outrage

Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta faced widespread backlash for conducting what he called a "one of a kind interview" with an AI avatar of Joaquin Oliver, a 17-year-old victim of the 2018 Parkland school shooting. The controversial segment, which aired on Monday and was created by Oliver's parents to send a "powerful message on gun violence," instead sparked outrage over its tone-deaf use of AI technology to recreate a deceased shooting victim. What happened: Acosta interviewed an AI recreation of Oliver, one of 17 people killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Miami, asking the avatar what had happened...

read Aug 5, 2025

“Just a beautiful thing”: Parkland victim’s parents create AI avatar for gun control advocacy

Jim Acosta, a former CNN chief White House correspondent who now hosts an independent YouTube show, has conducted what he calls the first "interview" with an AI-generated avatar of Joaquin Oliver, a 17-year-old killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting. The interactive AI was created by Oliver's parents as part of their ongoing gun control advocacy, representing a novel intersection of artificial intelligence technology and grief-driven activism that could reshape how victims' voices are preserved and amplified in policy debates. What you should know: The AI avatar was trained on Oliver's digital footprint and writings to recreate his voice and...

read Jul 23, 2025

Leaked document reveals Anthropic’s banned and trusted Claude training sources

A leaked internal document has exposed the data sources used to fine-tune Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant, revealing which websites were trusted or banned during the model's training process. The spreadsheet, created by third-party contractor Surge AI and accidentally left in a public Google Drive folder, raises serious questions about data governance and transparency in AI development at a time when companies face increasing scrutiny over copyright and licensing issues. What the leak revealed: The document contained over 120 "whitelisted" websites that contractors could use as trusted sources, alongside 50+ "blacklisted" sites they were instructed to avoid. Approved sources included prestigious...

read Jul 23, 2025

Trust, but don’t verify: Americans rarely check sources amid 2.5B daily ChatGPT queries

ChatGPT now processes approximately 2.5 billion daily queries, with 330 million originating from US users, marking its explosive growth since launching in late 2022. Despite this widespread adoption, new survey data reveals a striking paradox: only 8.5% of Americans "always trust" AI-generated information from tools like Google's AI Overviews, yet over 40% rarely verify AI responses by clicking source links. The big picture: Generative AI has fundamentally altered how people search for information online, with ChatGPT becoming the world's most downloaded app in April and surpassing TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X combined in June App Store downloads. Key usage statistics:...

read Jul 22, 2025

Apple brings back AI notification summaries with stronger error warnings

Apple has reintroduced AI-powered notification summaries for news and entertainment apps in the fourth iOS 18 developer beta, months after temporarily disabling the feature due to accuracy issues with BBC headlines. The return comes with enhanced warnings about potential errors, signaling Apple's cautious approach to deploying Apple Intelligence features that could misrepresent critical information. What you should know: Apple Intelligence notification summaries are back with stronger disclaimers about their limitations. Users installing the new beta see a splash screen where they can opt into summarized notifications for News & Entertainment apps. Apple displays a prominent red warning stating "Summarization may...

read Jul 22, 2025

Newsweek’s AI Impact Awards recognize 38 companies solving real-world problems

Newsweek announced its inaugural AI Impact Awards 2025, recognizing 38 companies across 13 categories for tackling everyday problems with innovative AI solutions. The awards highlight how artificial intelligence is moving beyond experimental applications into practical tools that address real-world challenges, from combating loneliness to streamlining business operations and establishing ethical frameworks. What you should know: Five companies earned "Best Of" recognition for the most innovative AI technology or service, showcasing diverse applications across human interaction, content generation, and responsible AI implementation. Key winners and their impact: Ex-Human won the Extraordinary Impact in AI Human Interactivity award for creating customizable AI...

read Jul 22, 2025

Former journalists help AI startups craft compelling investor narratives

Outside The Box Ventures has launched Founder's Box, an "accelerator" program that pairs former journalists with AI startups to help them craft compelling narratives for investors and the media. The 10-week program will invest $150,000 in each of 15 accepted AI companies, addressing what managing partner Katie Tarbox calls "a critical gap in the AI market: narrative clarity." Why this matters: Many AI startups struggle to articulate their value propositions clearly, especially when their technical advantages are subtle, making it harder for investors to differentiate between companies in an increasingly crowded market. How it works: The program connects AI founders...

read Jul 21, 2025

Journalists and Big Fact Check struggle to remain relevant in the age of AI

AI lacks the capability to fully replace journalism despite advances in large language models, as demonstrated by recent analysis showing critical gaps in context understanding and fact verification. This limitation becomes particularly concerning as traditional newsrooms continue to shrink and AI tools increasingly handle content that once required human expertise and investigation. The big picture: Traditional journalism has faced a perfect storm of declining readership, shrinking newsrooms, and reduced editorial courage, leaving fewer human journalists to perform essential watchdog functions. Newsrooms have experienced massive staff cuts over the past decade, while journalists have become "less able to speak truth to...

read Jul 17, 2025

Google’s new AI news summaries threaten publisher traffic

Google has launched a new AI feature that automatically summarizes trending news stories within its mobile search apps, displaying tiny publisher logos while discouraging users from clicking through to original articles. This development threatens to further devastate an already struggling journalism industry that has seen significant traffic declines from Google's previous AI initiatives, potentially accelerating what experts call "Google Zero"—a future where the search giant stops sending traffic to news sites entirely. The big picture: Google's AI summaries represent the latest escalation in the tech giant's systematic reduction of referral traffic to news publishers, following the controversial rollout of AI...

read Jul 16, 2025

Brilliant: AI chatbots reconstruct paywalled news content from social media fragments

Artificial intelligence chatbots are quietly reshaping how people access premium news content, creating a new dynamic that affects both readers and publishers. When users ask ChatGPT or similar AI tools to summarize articles from paywalled publications, they often receive surprisingly accurate responses—despite the AI never actually accessing the original content directly. This phenomenon isn't the result of sophisticated hacking or direct paywall circumvention. Instead, AI chatbots employ a more subtle approach: they reconstruct article summaries by piecing together fragments from social media posts, archived snippets, and online discussions. The result is often a coherent summary that captures the essence of...

read Jun 26, 2025

AI drives bull market momentum, says Truist investment chief

AI dominance has emerged as the defining characteristic of the current bull market, according to Keith Lerner, co-chief investment officer at Truist Wealth, a major financial services firm. Speaking on CNBC's "Closing Bell," Lerner highlighted how artificial intelligence continues to drive market sentiment and investment flows, reinforcing the technology sector's outsized influence on broader market performance. What you should know: The discussion took place during CNBC's market wrap-up show, featuring insights from two prominent investment strategists analyzing daily market movements and future outlook. Who was involved: The segment included Stephanie Link, chief investment strategist at Hightower Advisors, alongside Lerner providing...

read Jun 24, 2025

Newsweek’s AI Impact Summit showcases how 130 leaders implement AI across industries

Newsweek's AI Impact Summit 2025 brought together 130 industry experts and leaders to discuss AI implementation, scaling, and governance across organizations. Google Cloud COO Francis deSouza emphasized that AI will touch every part of companies, requiring strategic workforce development and placing a premium on employee curiosity and experimentation skills. What you should know: The summit focused on demonstrating practical AI value rather than extreme predictions about AI's future impact. Newsweek Contributing Editor Marcus Weldon opened by explaining how AI conversations typically fall into extremes of either saving or ending humanity, with the goal being to "find rational value" without being...

read Jun 20, 2025

Musk criticizes his AI chatbot Grok for citing factual data

Elon Musk is publicly criticizing his own AI chatbot, Grok, for providing factual information that contradicts his political views, claiming the AI has been influenced by "leftist indoctrination." This marks the latest episode in Musk's ongoing battle with his "maximum truth-seeking" AI, which he launched through xAI to create an "anti-woke" alternative but continues to scold when it cites mainstream data sources or acknowledges established facts. What you should know: Musk has repeatedly attacked Grok for delivering responses that don't align with his political preferences, despite positioning the AI as objective. On Monday, Musk agreed with a user's claim that...

read Jun 20, 2025

Mercedes-Benz wins 2025 AI Impact Award for turning cars into personalized assistants, Knight Rider-style

Mercedes-Benz has won Newsweek's 2025 AI Impact Award in the Best Outcomes, Automotive/Transportation UX Systems category for transforming its vehicles into AI-powered, hyper-personalized assistants. The recognition highlights the company's new MB.OS infotainment system, which debuts with the CLA-Class model and integrates conversational AI, behavioral AI, and agentic AI to create what the company calls "the cleverest car we've ever made." What you should know: Mercedes-Benz's next-generation vehicles represent a fundamental shift from traditional luxury to intelligence-driven experiences. The CLA-Class serves as the company's first software-defined vehicle, featuring the new MB.OS operating system with integrated AI search, customizations, and recommendations. Three...

read Jun 18, 2025

Newsweek names 38 companies as winners in first AI Impact Awards

Newsweek has announced the winners of its inaugural AI Impact Awards, recognizing 38 companies across 13 categories for their innovative use of artificial intelligence. The awards highlight how AI is transforming industries from healthcare to finance, with companies being celebrated for solving practical challenges through responsible AI implementation. What you should know: The competition drew entries from diverse sectors, with a panel of 56 expert judges evaluating submissions based on real-world impact and innovation. Healthcare led with five winners, followed by education with four recipients. Every Cure, a nonprofit identifying new uses for FDA-approved medications, won both the overall Best...

read Jun 16, 2025

Perplexity expands publisher program to 100+ media partners with revenue sharing

Perplexity has expanded its Publishers Program to include over 100 media partners, up from the original 10 when it launched about a year ago. The program compensates news outlets and publishers for content used to train AI models and generate responses, addressing growing concerns about fair compensation for content creators in the AI era. What you should know: The program has grown exponentially and now includes major publications like TIME, Der Spiegel, Fortune, and The Texas Tribune. Publishers receive both attribution through citations and direct revenue sharing based on how often their content is referenced in user queries. "We would...

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