Google is testing a new UI feature in Discover that replaces news headlines with AI-generated titles, which are often inaccurate, clickbaity, and lack context. The company clarified this is a small-scale experiment and not a broad rollout, but the practice raises concerns about transparency and quality of news presentation.
The article discusses how The Paper humorously criticizes modern journalism by mocking its reliance on clickbait and sensationalism, likening it to 'clickbait for people on toilets.'
A small Iowa newspaper's website was found to have been transformed into an AI-generated clickbait factory, producing finance-themed posts unrelated to its original purpose. Investigative efforts revealed a network of websites using generative AI to deceive audiences and advertisers, posing a threat of spreading misinformation and propaganda. The scheme aims to generate ad revenue through SEO and Google's ad platform, with the operators remaining largely anonymous. Researchers hope to raise awareness and prompt legislative action to address the impact of AI-generated content on the information ecosystem.
After the death of Beth Mazur, spammy articles falsely claimed her ex-husband, Brian Vastag, had also died, causing distress to their friends. The widespread availability of generative AI tools is accelerating the deluge of low-quality fake obituaries, with some websites using AI to churn out clickbait articles about the deceased. Google has long struggled to contain obituary spam, and funeral homes have been dealing with obituary aggregator sites for years. The articles are detached and nearly identical, often containing inaccurate details, and some sites ruthlessly optimize content for search engines. The problem is exacerbated by the difficulty in distinguishing legitimate obituaries from AI-generated ones, causing distress to family and friends of the deceased.
Kamaru Usman denies rumors of a knee injury during UFC 294 open workouts, calling those spreading the rumor "dummies." Usman insists that he is fine and questions how people could have possibly heard what he said during the event. He expresses frustration with the power of social media and urges people to stop with the clickbait. Usman is set to make his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev on short notice, replacing the injured Paulo Costa.
Twitter, now known as X, has introduced a new ad format that closely resembles news stories and other links, lacking transparency and disclosure. Users cannot like, retweet, block, or report these ads, and there is no indication that they are advertisements. This move suggests that X is struggling to attract advertisers and is resorting to desperate measures for revenue. The ads appear to be connected to clickbait ad networks.
Artifact, the AI-powered news app from Instagram’s co-founders, now allows users to flag articles they think are clickbait. The feedback will be used as “a signal in ranking so we can better prioritize helpful articles over misleading ones for the community.” Artifact will be monitoring the most reported articles and then deciding what it might want to do in response, including reducing an article’s distribution in feeds or modifying the headline in some way to be less misleading. The app also added the ability to save an article as an image and emoji reactions to articles.
Reports claiming that Windows 11 is "broken beyond repair" due to a bug that affects the Start menu, Windows Search, and UWP apps are misleading. Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and is working on a fix, but has not admitted that it cannot be resolved. The bug can be mitigated by uninstalling apps that integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, or Outlook Calendar, and updates or guidance from app developers may also be available. The headline is clickbait and lacks understanding of software development and Microsoft's past practices.