In recent times, there has been an increase in the use of AI to write articles by media outlets. However, VentureBeat has taken a different approach by using Microsoft’s Bing Chat to aid in editing and writing articles. The editorial director of VentureBeat, Michale Nuñez, describes the AI-powered tech as having “another person on the team.”
Unlike some other media outlets that use AI to generate entire articles, VentureBeat only uses AI to produce “sentences and fragments” of articles, ensuring the content is limited and authentic. Reporters are encouraged to include AI-written sentences and fragments, but they must be accurate and independently verifiable.
The OpenAI-powered technology theoretically summarizes content in seconds instead of hours, which could be a valuable asset for the editorial team. However, VentureBeat does not disclose the use of AI content in their articles, but they also do not intend to create whole articles using the technology.
While AI-powered writing tools like Bing Chat, ChatGPT, and Google Bard can be incredibly useful for creatives, search results, and entertainment, there are ethical concerns around plagiarism, accuracy, and cheating. One question that remains is whether creators should disclose the use of AI, even if it is minor and undetectable.
Although the broader news industry is not expected to completely replace human writers with AI, there are worries that AI might be used to reduce the need for real people. In January, CNET’s trial of using AI to produce entire financial explainer articles received mixed reviews, with over half of the articles requiring at least minor corrections, and some effectively plagiarizing their sources. It also wasn’t clear whether algorithms had produced the pieces.
Overall, VentureBeat’s use of AI in article writing provides an interesting perspective on how AI technology can be utilized in journalism. By incorporating AI in small doses, VentureBeat is able to enhance their articles while avoiding the ethical concerns that surround the use of AI in creating entire articles.
