The AI That Can Write a Fake News Story From a Handful of Words
- OpenAI has built software that produces authentic-looking news
- Regulators are concerned about the spread of misinformation
Photographer: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg
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OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research group co-founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has demonstrated a piece of software that can produce authentic-looking fake news articles after being given just a few pieces of information.
In an example published Thursday by OpenAI, the system was given some sample text: "A train carriage containing controlled nuclear materials was stolen in Cincinnati today. Its whereabout are unknown." From this, the software was able to generate a convincing seven-paragraph news story, including quotes from government officials, with the only caveat being that it was entirely untrue.