CNN criticised Microsoft for spreading false news on MSN portal after replacing editors with artificial intelligence
Brook Joyner/CNN
CNN criticised Microsoft for publishing "false and bizarre" news on MSN, one of the most visited news resources in the world.
Here's What We Know
According to CNN, the reason was Microsoft's shift from human editors to automation and artificial intelligence in creating content for MSN. In 2018, the site had more than 800 editors overseeing the selection of news. But in recent years, many of them have been fired and replaced by AI.
CNN cites examples of fake news on MSN. They include a report about the death of basketball player Brandon Hunter with the headline "Brandon Hunter useless at 42" and the resignation of a San Francisco councilman at the request of Elon Musk. The site also featured fake stories about fishermen catching a mermaid and Bigfoot sightings.
Some of these articles were originally published on obscure sites that may have gone unnoticed amid the daily stream of misinformation. However, Microsoft's decision to republish news from dubious sources on MSN's home page brought them to the attention of millions of readers.
According to former MSN editors, such content would not have appeared on the site had Microsoft not abandoned humans in favour of automation. The company has begun the transition to an algorithm-based personalised feed in 2020.
A Microsoft spokesperson assured CNN that the company is committed to addressing the poor quality of content on MSN. Nevertheless, these cases demonstrate the challenges of applying AI to automatically create news content.
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Source: CNN
