Ben Black, a journalist from the UK, faced an unpleasant situation when his old fake story was accepted as truth through artificial intelligence tools.
Ben Black's Story
Every year, 48-year-old journalist Ben Black wrote funny fake stories for his website, Cwmbran Life, to celebrate April Fools’ Day on April 1st. However, this year he was surprised and upset to see that Google’s AI was treating his fake story as real. Black had forgotten about his old jokes until he discovered AI using them as actual facts.
Misunderstanding with AI
The story claiming Cwmbran has the most roundabouts in the world was intended as a joke, but the AI and a driving instruction site treated it as truth. In the past, Black added fake quotes to his stories for comedic effect, always clarifying they were jokes. Nevertheless, his article was used by larger news sites without permission.
Consequences of Using Fake Stories
Black expressed disappointment towards Google, noting it raises concerns about the spread of fake news. He emphasized that AI has become a problem for independent writers, as big news resources utilize original stories without consent. This year, he opted not to write any new prank stories due to lack of time and disillusionment from the misuse of his past work.
Ben Black's situation highlights the need for awareness regarding the impact of modern technology on journalism and the necessity to protect authors' rights, especially in an age of active AI use.
