The New York Times severed its relationship with freelance writer Alex Preston after it was discovered that an AI tool he utilized had plagiarized content from an existing book review.
Preston was tasked with reviewing Jean-Baptiste Andrea’s novel “Watching Over Her” and incorporated an AI tool during his writing process. Unfortunately, he was unaware that the tool extracted text from Christobel Kent’s previous review in The Guardian. Preston submitted his review without recognizing the similarities, and it was a sharp-eyed reader who pointed out the issue, leading to his dismissal from the publication.
In an interview with The Guardian, Preston expressed that he felt “hugely embarrassed” and acknowledged he had “made a serious mistake.” Many of his sentences mirrored those in Kent’s review, suggesting the AI tool directly sourced from the Guardian article. He likely thought he was employing a writing assistant, unaware it was a tool that accessed the internet and replicated existing content. This gap in understanding contributed to the unfortunate outcome.
A similar incident occurred at Ars Technica, where an editor published a story that featured completely fabricated quotes attributed to a developer’s blog. The developer had inadvertently blocked ChatGPT from accessing his site. The editor did not verify the source and accepted the AI’s output without question. Because the model couldn’t reach the actual blog, it likely generated the quotes based solely on the prompt and the URL. Once again, this points to a user operating a tool without fully grasping its capabilities and limitations.
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In conclusion, the incidents involving Alex Preston and Ars Technica highlight the critical importance of understanding the tools being used in writing and media. As AI technologies continue to evolve, the responsibility lies with users to ensure ethical practices and maintain the integrity of their work.
