CJ Baker, a seasoned reporter for the Powell Tribune, first noticed something was amiss by the slightly off-kilter quotes from Wyoming’s governor and a local prosecutor. The robotic phrasing in the stories further fueled his suspicions. However, the definitive proof that a rival journalist was employing generative artificial intelligence to craft his pieces came in a June 26 article about comedian Larry the Cable Guy being chosen as the grand marshal of a local parade. The Cody Enterprise’s article bizarrely explained the inverted pyramid structure, a fundamental approach to writing breaking news.
The piece concluded, “The 2024 Cody Stampede Parade promises to be an unforgettable celebration of American independence, led by one of comedy’s most beloved figures. This structure ensures that the most critical information is presented first, making it easier for readers to grasp the main points quickly.”
Intrigued, Baker, who boasts over 15 years in journalism, commenced an investigation. His sleuthing led him to meet Aaron Pelczar, a 40-year-old novice journalist. According to Baker, Pelczar admitted to using AI in his stories before resigning from the Cody Enterprise.
The uproar prompted apologies from the Enterprise’s publisher and editor, co-founded in 1899 by Buffalo Bill Cody. In an editorial, Chris Bacon, Enterprise Editor, confessed he “failed to catch” the AI-generated copy and fraudulent quotes, pledging that “AI was allowed to put words that were never spoken into stories.”
The incident underscores the hazards AI poses to various industries, including journalism, where chatbots can generate plausible yet spurious articles. While AI aids in automating tasks in newsrooms, as seen with The Associated Press using AI for financial earnings reports since 2014, the potential pitfalls remain significant.
The Associated Press employs AI to provide reporters with more time for impactful stories, but most AP staff cannot use generative AI for publishable content. The AP is also piloting an AI tool to translate stories from English to Spanish, with technology’s role noted transparently in such articles.
Transparency is crucial, exemplified by the backlash Sports Illustrated faced last year for online product reviews presented as written by non-existent reporters. The controversy led to SI terminating the company producing the articles, but the damage to its reputation lingered.
In his report on Pelczar’s use of AI, Baker recounted an uncomfortable yet cordial meeting with Pelczar and Bacon. Pelczar, according to Baker, stated, “Obviously I’ve never intentionally tried to misquote anybody” and vowed to “correct them and issue apologies.” He emphasized that his errors shouldn’t tarnish his Cody Enterprise editors’ reputations.
Following this revelation, the Enterprise found seven stories with AI-generated quotes from six individuals. Bacon reported Tuesday that he is still scrutinizing other articles. He noted that the quotes, despite being fictitious, appeared credible and even sounded like something the purported sources might say, yet those individuals never conversed with Pelczar.
Seven individuals informed Baker that they had been quoted by Pelczar without ever speaking to him. Pelczar did not return an AP phone message seeking comment, and he declined to discuss the matter with another Wyoming newspaper.
Baker’s suspicions about Pelczar’s writing were aroused through a mix of phrases and quotes. One of Pelczar’s stories about a Yellowstone National Park shooting included the line, “This incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of human behavior, even in the most serene settings,” which Baker contended resembled summary phrases generated by certain chatbots, often ending with a “life lesson.”
Another piece on a poaching sentencing included quotes from a wildlife official and a prosecutor that seemed lifted from a non-existent news release, with involved agencies unaware of their origin. Two questioned stories contained fabricated quotes from Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, discovered only when Baker contacted his staff. One quote was entirely fictitious, and another was partially so, according to Michael Pearlman, the governor’s spokesperson.
Alex Mahadevan from the Poynter Institute explained that creating AI-generated stories is not difficult. Users could feed a criminal affidavit into an AI program and generate an article with seemingly genuine quotes from local officials.
“These generative AI chatbots are programmed to give you an answer, no matter whether that answer is complete garbage or not,” Mahadevan said.
Megan Barton, the Cody Enterprise’s publisher, described AI as “the new, advanced form of plagiarism.” She explained that the newspaper now has measures to identify and prevent AI-generated content and is committed to ongoing discussions on the matter.
In his editorial, Bacon referenced an infamous scuffle between former baseball player Robin Ventura and pitcher Nolan Ryan, likening his own embarrassment to Ventura’s enduring ridicule. He acknowledged the oversight, noting that the Enterprise lacked an AI policy because it seemed obvious that journalists shouldn’t use AI to write stories.
Poynter provides a template for news outlets to craft their AI policies. Bacon, a military veteran and former air ambulance pilot who recently became editor, aims to have a policy in place by week’s end, making it a pre-employment discussion topic.
