Gannett is Shuttering Site Accused of Publishing AI Product Reviews (theverge.com) 12
An anonymous reader shares a report: Newspaper giant Gannett is shutting down Reviewed, its product reviews site, effective November 1st, according to sources familiar with the decision. The site offers recommendations for products ranging from shoes to home appliances and employs journalists to test and review items -- but has also been at the center of questions around whether its work is actually produced by humans.
"After careful consideration and evaluation of our Reviewed business, we have decided to close the operation. We extend our sincere gratitude to our employees who have provided consumers with trusted product reviews," Reviewed spokesperson Lark-Marie Anton told The Verge in an email. But the site more recently has been the subject of scrutiny, at times by its own unionized employees. Last October, Reviewed staff publicly accused Gannett of publishing AI-generated product reviews on the site. The articles in question were written in a strange, stilted manner, and staff found that the authors the articles were attributed to didn't seem to exist on LinkedIn and other platforms. Some questioned whether they were real at all. In response to questions, Gannett said the articles were produced by a third-party marketing company called AdVon Commerce and that the original reviews didn't include proper disclosure. But Gannett denied that AI was involved.
"After careful consideration and evaluation of our Reviewed business, we have decided to close the operation. We extend our sincere gratitude to our employees who have provided consumers with trusted product reviews," Reviewed spokesperson Lark-Marie Anton told The Verge in an email. But the site more recently has been the subject of scrutiny, at times by its own unionized employees. Last October, Reviewed staff publicly accused Gannett of publishing AI-generated product reviews on the site. The articles in question were written in a strange, stilted manner, and staff found that the authors the articles were attributed to didn't seem to exist on LinkedIn and other platforms. Some questioned whether they were real at all. In response to questions, Gannett said the articles were produced by a third-party marketing company called AdVon Commerce and that the original reviews didn't include proper disclosure. But Gannett denied that AI was involved.
AI products (Score:2)
What's wrong with reviewing AI products?
Re: (Score:2)
You have to compare whether three finger or six fingers are better to use them.
TurtlesGPT (Score:1)
AI products can review themselves.
Another Industry Down The Tubes (Score:3)
Most reviews that you read online are fake, written and posted by random people paid to do them. This has been a major work-from-home industry for about 30 years. Individual are recruited to post reviews and are paid much less than a dollar per post.
Now that AI can write those fake reviews much better, we won't need people to do it.
Corporate denials for AI use is the norm. (Score:2)
But Gannett denied that AI was involved.
Hehe, this is going to be a trend, I think. Like fucking fat girls in high school. Anytime companies use AI they will deny it, if possible. "No no, it was all legit, we shut it down for other reasons. It totally wasn't that we were busted astroturfing with AI."
Re: (Score:3)
Busted. (Score:3)
articles were produced by a third-party marketing company
Thanks for admitting the entire thing was just an advertising campaign without telling us the entire thing was an advertising campaign.
Normal (Score:2)
It's cheaper than mechanical Turk.
Why not celebrate it (Score:2)
"Only AI generated reviews!"
Other sites have both fake reviews generated by humans and generated by AI mixed in with what are purported to maybe be actual real reviews.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't have any points today to mod you up, but I found a profound wisdom in what you said.
If "real" reviews cannot be trusted because they could be from fake or paid reviewers, then AI reviews could possibly be more objective. Of course, the AI reviews in theory are sort of a meta-analysis of reviews already out there, so if there is a bias in the extant reviews, then the AI review might be no better. And, the AI could hallucinate, especially with multiple request on the same product. It could be gamed
Re: (Score:2)
just dont tell anyone
The world is going down the tubes... (Score:2)
Reviewed staff publicly accused Gannett of publishing AI-generated product reviews on the site ... Gannett said the articles were produced by a third-party marketing company called AdVon Commerce ... Gannett denied that AI was involved.
Oh, THAT's ok then... they were fake product reviews, but at least they weren't written by AI.
Seriously... the fact that a CEO can happily admit that the entire purpose of their website - to provide product reviews - is being completely undermined by behind-the-scenes fakery, essentially pushing people towards products that in reality have not been reviewed by satisfied customers is just... disgusting to me. I'm sure it's not a surprise to anyone reading this that reviews are faked, but... the CEO of a prod