Gannett's AI sports articles halted due to public ridicule and criticism
Newspaper chain Gannett has halted the use of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool called LedeAI to write high school sports articles after the technology produced numerous errors and awkward phrasing. The AI-generated reports, published by Gannett outlets including the Columbus Dispatch, were criticized for lacking key details, repetitive language, and sounding like they were written by a computer with no knowledge of sports. Gannett has paused its experiment with LedeAI and is evaluating vendors to ensure journalistic standards are met. The incident highlights the challenges news outlets face in handling AI advancements, with other organizations also experiencing issues with AI-generated content.