Trendsetters in the News

By Gordon Hopkins As influential figures like Beyonce and Coco Chanel and anyone who has ever started an Instagram challenge know, being a trendsetter is an awesome responsibility.We here at the Fairbury Journal-News know it, too.Mass media behemoth Gannett is, among other things, the largest U.S. newspaper publisher, as measured by total daily circulation. As measured by hilarious cat stories, we may not have them beat yet, but we are clearly catching up. Recently, Gannett announced it would be shutting down a product review site called, rather unimaginatively, “Reviewed.” Gannett spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón told The Verge, a website that covers tech news, in an email, “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.” That email is a bit lacking on just why “Reviewed” is being put out to digital pasture, but it isn't hard to make an educated guess.A series of awkwardly written and sometimes downright bizarre reviews led some readers, including the staff of “Reviewed,” to suspect some of the reviews were being written by AI (Artificial Intelligence).The Verge reported that Gannett flatly denied the content was produced by AI. Instead, the reviews came from a company called AdVon Commerce. Funny thing about AdVon Commerce. The company's website touts AI-generated content, “Today, AI content generators are not just mimicking human writing; they're creating original, coherent, and often surprisingly engaging content. From blog posts to news articles and creative stories, the scope of AI-generated content is expanding rapidly.”AdVon also points out, “One might ask, 'Was this written by AI or a human?' The truth is, in many cases, it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell. This advancement is not a threat to human creativity but an enhancement, offering a collaborative tool that can inspire and extend the capabilities of content creators.” That it is becoming harder and harder to tell AI-produced content from people-produced contact is certainly true. That this development is “not a threat to human creativity,” I am less convinced. One thing, however, is undeniable: Once a reader finds out what they are reading was written by AI, they stop reading and they won't trust it. This is not the first time Gannett has fallen into this trap. Last year the company was raked over the coals by the public for allegedly using AI to write sports stories.So, I hope the demise of “Reviewed” means Gannett has finally learned their lesson. Perhaps Gannett is prepared to follow in the footsteps of a true industry trendsetter and go “100% AI Free.”

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