Majority of People in the UK, US Find AI-Powered News Content Suspicious

The majority of Americans and Britons view news coverage that is mostly generated by artificial intelligence as suspicious, according to a recent survey. Consumers are cautious when employing AI to create news material, particularly when it comes to sensitive subjects like politics, according to Reuters' annual Digital News Report.

In the study, 52% of US and 63% of UK respondents indicated they would feel uneasy reading news primarily generated by artificial intelligence. According to the analysis, which polled 2,000 people in each nation, respondents were more at ease with AI being used in the background to improve the productivity of journalists.

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A full 59% of respondents expressed concern about fake news information on the internet, a three-point increase from the previous year's survey results. Given that both nations are holding elections this year, the percentages in South Africa and the United States were higher, at 81% and 72%, respectively, the survey stated.

Public audiences' typical reluctance to pay for news subscriptions is another issue that news organizations must deal with. In 20 nations, 17% of respondents indicated they paid for internet news, a percentage that has remained constant over the last three years despite some growth during the epidemic, the survey stated.

With 46% of US news customers paying less than the full amount for their subscriptions, a sizeable fraction was also revealed to be more likely to pay discounted prices due to trials or promotions.

NewsBreak in the US

Despite suspicions, however, the most downloaded news application in the US is reportedly AI-powered. The Newsbreak app was recently found to share fake news stories using AI.

A fake article headlined "Christmas Day Tragedy Strikes Bridgeton, New Jersey Amid Rising Gun Violence in Small Towns" was allegedly published on the free app in December of last year. But the account, which purportedly described a gunshot event in Bridgeton, New Jersey, was quickly refuted by the local police.

After making the announcement, NewsBreak took down the fake story and informed media outlets that it originated from the website findplace.xyz. The business further stated that it promptly deletes anything that it finds to be false or in violation of its community standards.

AI-Powered Journalism in NewsBreak

However, further research showed that this was not an isolated incidence. According to Reuters, NewsBreak has reportedly published at least 40 bogus items since 2021, many of which were produced by artificial intelligence. These stories have impacted local communities in the real world.

Newsbreak states that their monthly user base exceeds 50 million. In addition to local news or press releases retrieved by web scraping, which it subsequently rewrites using AI, it publishes licensed content from big media outlets.

Although the app advertised itself as "the go-to source for all things local," the excessive use of AI tools has resulted in several serious mistakes. In March, Newsbreak included a disclaimer on its homepage stating that its material "may not always be error-free."