The most downloaded US news app, NewsBreak, was caught posting several AI-generated fake articles amid growing concerns about AI dangers in powering disinformation.
The issue was first spotted after the news outlet published an article about a supposed school shooting in Bridgeton, New Jersey, last December.
The Bridgeton Police Department, however, denied such an incident actually happened, calling out NewsBreak for putting out an AI-generated article that is "entirely false."
While NewsBreak removed the outsourced article shortly after, a subsequent in-depth investigation from Reuters revealed that it was not the first time NewsBreak used generative AI in its articles.
According to the investigation, NewsBreak has been publishing AI-generated and AI-fueled articles since 2021, many of which are about local organizations and institutions in the US.
For an app with over 50 million monthly users, much of this AI-made news is guaranteed to be seen by many unaware readers across the US and foreign countries.
AI use in news writing remains greatly frowned upon in the industry as the technology is prone to hallucinating information, an issue evident in several AI-fueled articles on its local US news.
NewsBreak Linked to Chinese Gov't
Aside from its habit of producing AI-generated articles, the Reuters investigation also highlighted NewsBreak's potential links to China.
According to sources interviewed, most of the AI-generated articles came from NewsBreak's China-based offices.
It is worth noting that NewsBreak was former a subsidiary of Chinese news app Yidian Zixun, later divesting from the US-based app in 2019, amid the White House's crackdown on Chinese firms in the US intensified.
Yidian Zixun and its former CEO Jeff Zheng previously earned praises from the Chinese government for "its efficiency in disseminating government propaganda," Reuters reported.
Jeff Zheng currently leads NewsBreak as its CEO and co-founder.
The Reuters report came as tensions between China and the US heightened with lawmakers and data experts warning that China may use generative AI to sow further divide among American voters ahead of the 2024 Elections.
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US Lawmakers Heighten Alerts on AI Dangers in Upcoming 2024 Elections
With the US 2024 Presidential Election only five months away, more lawmakers and security watchdogs have increased warnings on AI's potential impact on information democracy.
The Washington Post has earlier noted a 1000% increase in news websites disseminating AI-generated "fake news" since May 2023 as candidates start declaring intentions for the upcoming election.
Experts are worried that the same issues with the 2016 Elections, where disinformation became rampant on social media, would happen again this coming November.
