CNET will no longer publish articles written entirely by robots after receiving a barrage of criticism over the practice in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
This comes shortly after the website launched an investigation into its machine-generated content after it was discovered that the pieces were factually incorrect.<\/p>\n
“We didn’t do it in secret. We did it quietly,” CNET editor-in-chief Connie Guglielmo is quoted as telling staff. The AI engine CNET used was reportedly built by its owner, Red Ventures, and is proprietary.<\/p>\n
The program’s lack of a formal announcement, as well as the shoddy quality of the articles it produced and the general sense that it was a pilot program designed to lay off entry-level writers, sparked outrage.<\/p>\n
One such story misled readers about compound interest; another incorrectly told readers they would pay a certain amount of interest if they took out a car loan at a certain rate. Futurist, the publication that exposed CNET’s use of content-creating robots, first reported the errors.<\/p>\n
Company executives stated that they will restart the program once the negative press coverage subsides.<\/p>\n