Latest news with #ChatGPT
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
More than 2 years after ChatGPT, newsrooms still struggle with AI's shortcomings
An inaccurate AI-produced reading list recently published by two newspapers demonstrates just how easy it still is for publishers to circulate AI slop. The Chicago Sun-Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer last week published a summer reading insert produced by King Features, a Hearst Newspapers subsidiary that provides the pair with licensed content. While the insert included real authors, the recommended books were mostly fake. Ultimately, 404 Media found that a human writer had produced the list using ChatGPT and failed to fact-check it. 'I do use AI for background at times but always check out the material first,' the insert's writer told 404 Media. 'This time, I did not and I can't believe I missed it because it's so obvious. No excuses.' OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT more than two years ago kicked off an AI gold rush, resulting in a deluge of AI-infused tools aiming to help people find information online without sifting through lists of links. But that convenience comes at a cost, with AI chatbots continuing to offer incorrect or speculative responses. Newsrooms have adopted AI chatbots with some trepidation, aware that the technology opens up new opportunities, as well as potential high-profile blunders — all amid fears that AI could lead to job losses and eat into news outlets' revenue sources. Not adopting the technology, however, means risking being left behind as others use AI to comb through enormous datasets, incubate ideas and help readers navigate complicated narratives. Though many major newsrooms have adopted AI guidelines since ChatGPT's launch, the sheer size of some newsrooms' staff, coupled with multiple external partnerships, complicates identifying where embarrassing AI blunders can occur. The insert incident exemplifies the myriad ways AI errors can be introduced into news products. Most supplements that the Sun-Times has run this year — from puzzles to how-to guides — have been from Hearst, Tracy Brown, the chief partnerships officer for Sun-Times parent Chicago Public Media, told CNN. However, whether it's an insert or a full-length story, Brown stressed that newsrooms have to use AI carefully. 'It's not that we're saying that you can't use any AI,' she said. 'You have to use it responsibly and you have to do it in a way that keeps your editorial standards and integrity intact.' It's precisely because AI is prone to errors that newsrooms must maintain the 'fundamental standards and values that have long guided their work,' Peter Adams, a senior vice president of research and design at the News Literacy Project, told CNN. That includes being transparent about using AI in the first place. Many high-profile publishers have been candid about how their newsrooms use AI to bolster reporting. The Associated Press — considered by many within the news industry to be the gold standard for journalism practices, given how it has used AI for translation, summaries and headlines — has avoided gaffes by always including a human backstop. Amanda Barrett, the AP's vice president of standards, told CNN that any information gathered using AI tools is considered unvetted source material, and reporters are responsible for verifying AI-produced information. The AP also checks that its third-party partners have similar AI policies. 'It's really about making sure that your standards are compatible with the partner you're working with and that everyone's clear on what the standard is,' Barrett said. Zack Kass, an AI consultant and former OpenAI go-to-market lead, echoed Barrett, telling CNN that newsrooms need to treat AI 'like a junior researcher with unlimited energy and zero credibility.' This means that AI writing should be 'subject to the same scrutiny as a hot tip from an unvetted source.' 'The mistake is using it like it's a search engine instead of what it really is: an improviser with a genius-level memory and no instinct for truth,' he added. High-profile AI mistakes in newsrooms, when they happen, tend to be very embarrassing. Bloomberg News' AI summaries, for example, were announced in January and already have included several errors. The LA Times' Insights AI in March sympathized with the KKK within 24 hours of its launch. And in January, Apple pulled a feature from its Apple Intelligence AI that incorrectly summarized push notifications from news outlets. That's only recently. For years, newsrooms have struggled when AI has been allowed to proceed unchecked. Gannett in 2023 was forced to pause an AI experiment after several major errors in high school sports articles. And CNET in 2023 published several inaccurate stories. Still, as Felix Simon, a research fellow in AI and digital news at the University of Oxford's Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, points out, 'the really egregious cases have been few and far between.' New research innovations have reduced hallucinations, or false answers from AI, pushing chatbots to spend more time thinking before responding, Chris Callison-Burch, a professor of computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania, told CNN. But they're not infallible, which is how these incidents still occur. 'AI companies need to do a better job communicating to users about the potential for errors, since we have repeatedly seen examples of users misunderstanding how to use technology,' Callison-Burch said. According to Brown, all editorial content at the Sun-Times is produced by humans. Looking forward, the newspaper will ensure that editorial partners, like King Features, uphold those same standards, just as the newspaper already ensures freelancers' codes of ethics mirror its own. But the 'real takeaway,' as Kass put it, isn't just that humans are needed — it's 'why we're needed.' 'Not to clean up after AI, but to do the things AI fundamentally can't,' he said. '(To) make moral calls, challenge power, understand nuance and decide what actually matters.'
CNBC
38 minutes ago
- Business
- CNBC
Mark Zuckerberg says Meta AI has 1 billion monthly active users
Meta's AI assistant now has 1 billion monthly active users across the company's family of apps, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday at the company's annual shareholder meeting. The "focus for this year is deepening the experience and making Meta AI the leading personal AI with an emphasis on personalization, voice conversations and entertainment," Zuckerberg said. The artificial intelligent assistant's 1 billion milestone comes after the company in April released a standalone app for the tool. The plan is for Meta to keep growing the product before building a business around it, Zuckerberg said on Wednesday. As Meta AI improves overtime, Zuckerberg said "there will be opportunities to either insert paid recommendations" or offer "a subscription service so that people can pay to use more compute." In February, CNBC reported that Meta was planning to debut a standalone Meta AI app during the second quarter and test a paid-subscription service akin to rival chat apps like OpenAI's ChatGPT. "It may seem kind of funny that a billion monthly actives doesn't seem like it's at scale for us, but that's where we're at," Zuckerberg told shareholders. During the Meta shareholder meeting, investors voted on 14 different items related to the company's business, nine of which were shareholder proposals covering topics such as child safety, greenhouse gas emissions and a proposed bitcoin treasury assessment. Shareholder proposal 8, for example, was submitted by JLens, which is an investment advisor and affiliate of the Anti-Defamation League, and called for Meta to prepare an annual report detailing and addressing hate content, including antisemitism, on its services following January policy changes that relaxed content-moderation guidelines. Early voting results on Wednesday showed the proposals that Meta's board did not recommend were unlikely to pass, including one calling for the company to end its dual-class share structure, which gives Zuckerberg significant voting power. Meanwhile, the voting items that the board favored, including those pertaining to approving the company's board of director nominees and an equity incentive plan, were likely to pass, based on the preliminary results. Meta said final polling results will be released within four business days on the company's website and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Women With Body Image Issues Are Asking ChatGPT Something Terrible
People are using ChatGPT for things its creators never even imagined — including, in a decidedly "Black Mirror" twist, to solicit feedback on how to better conform to society's norms around attractiveness. As the Washington Post reports, women struggling with self-worth and body image issues have taken to asking the OpenAI chatbot, and others like it, for advice on how to be, in the parlance, "hotter." What's worse: despite years of evidence showing how weird chatbots can get when it comes to providing advice, multiple women in their early 30s told the news outlet that they'd had good experiences getting ChatGPT to critique their looks and bodies. "People filter things through their biases and bring their own subjectivity into these sorts of loaded questions," explained Ania Rucisnki, a 32-year-old in Australia who said she uploaded her photo to the chatbot and asked it how she could look better. "ChatGPT brings a level of objectivity you can't get in real life." That assumption, while intriguing, isn't entirely correct. Though OpenAI and other companies have worked to tamp down human prejudice from their chatbots — which we've encountered the hard way on multiple occasions over the years — they're still rife with bias. The very concept of AI being objective is starting to shift as models like OpenAI's o-series reasoning models are trained to learn, with many missteps, how to have emotional intelligence and empathy. When Kayla Drew, also 32, asked ChatGPT for advice on various aspects of her looks, from her skin and hair to clothes and makeup, it gave her suggestions that ultimately led to roughly $200 in purchases. Though OpenAI doesn't yet make money from any links it includes during such exchanges, the company has said that it's exploring ad revenue as a future income stream — and others, like Perplexity, are already making money from in-chatbot advertising. "Today I asked about whitening my teeth, and she [yes, this person uses 'she' pronouns to refer to ChatGPT] was like, 'Make sure your dental hygiene is good,' and I was like, 'Damn, girl,'" Drew told WaPo. "Nobody else would come up to me and say that. It was pretty cool because I guess I needed to hear it." Of course, it's hard to suss out how "make sure your dental hygiene is good" would be considered particularly actionable advice for questions about teeth whitening. According to Emily Pfeiffer, a commerce analyst with the business consultancy Forrester, that sort of thing is par for the course with AI, which "just echoes what it's seen online." "Much of that has been designed to make people feel bad about themselves and buy more products," Pfeiffer said. More on AI and women: AI Is Replacing Women's Jobs Specifically
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
OpenAI CFO Teases Potential IPO Timeline
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)-backed OpenAI's new public benefit corporation structure gets us to an IPO-able event, CFO Sarah Friar said at the Dublin Tech Summit, underscoring that the ChatGPT maker could go public when markets and the company are ready. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with MSFT. Friar stressed that the PBC modelcombining a nonprofit parent with a for-profit LLCaligns shareholder interests with OpenAI's mission, and gives the firm the flexibility to pursue an IPO if and when we want to. She cautioned, You can show up at the altar all ready to go, and if the market's not ready for you, yeah, you're just out of luck, emphasizing the need for OpenAI to be sustainable and safe regardless of where the public markets are. Investors should care because OpenAI's IPO would be one of the decade's most anticipated listings, with Microsoft already holding a multibillion-dollar stake and the broader AI sector racing toward public valuations. With OpenAI planning to convert its for-profit arm into a PBC this month, markets will be watching for any timeline hints or structural updates that signal when the firm might officially file for an IPO. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How Marketers Adapt to AI Search Shifts: Insights From Info-Tech Research Group
With AI transforming the future of online search and increasing the prevalence of zero-click results, Info-Tech Research Group has published a comprehensive resource for marketing leaders navigating the shift. The global research and advisory firm details practical tactics for organizations to enhance content credibility, leverage structured data, and adapt continuously to an unpredictable digital environment. TORONTO, May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - The rapid rise of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity is reshaping how people search for and engage with digital content. Traditional search engines are being disrupted as AI interfaces deliver immediate, automated answers, increasing the number of zero-click searches and diminishing visibility for many organizations. To support marketing leaders in navigating this shift, Info-Tech Research Group has published its industry blueprint, Stay Relevant in the Era of AI-Powered Search. The firm's comprehensive resource offers research insights and practical strategies to help organizations adapt and maintain a strong digital presence in the evolving search landscape. The blueprint highlights key tactics for marketers to optimize content for AI-driven discovery, strengthen online visibility, and drive meaningful engagement as search behavior continues to evolve. "The way people are searching for information is changing rapidly. Instead of entering a search term or phrase in a search engine, people are using AI for research. For example, at the recent IO conference, Google announced that their AI search feature is now available for all users in the US," says Shashi Bellamkonda, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "Users can now collect answers in one place instead of going to several places to complete their research. This change is happening rapidly, and AI is gaining popularity as a means for people to find information on the internet." In the recently published blueprint, Info-Tech highlights the growing uncertainty around how changes in search behavior will impact organic web traffic. The firm details that traditional search engine optimization strategies, which once delivered results, may no longer be as effective with the emergence of AI-backed tools. At the same time, many organizations are struggling to secure the technical resources needed to update digital assets and respond quickly to the new landscape. MarTech expert Bellamkonda emphasizes that businesses must expand their focus beyond Google search and act quickly to remain visible and competitive. To support this transition, Info-Tech's Stay Relevant in the Era of AI-Powered Search blueprint outlines five essential steps marketing leaders can adopt to stay visible and relevant in AI-powered search environments. The five steps are: Invest in AI-driven answer optimization (AAO): Implement strategies to enhance AI-driven search capabilities. Embrace structured data: Ensure the website's content is organized using structured data markup to enhance visibility and improve search engine rankings. Create audience-relevant content: Develop high-quality, timely content that is accessible and aligned with users' needs and questions. Follow EEAT guidelines: Strengthen the organization's credibility and search rankings by demonstrating experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Monitor and adapt: Continuously monitor search engine algorithms and user behavior to stay ahead of the curve and adjust strategies accordingly. Info-Tech's research insights emphasize that the shift from traditional search to AI-powered discovery requires a rethinking of marketing strategy. As AI tools increasingly guide how users find and consume information, marketers must move beyond conventional SEO and channel-based tactics. The firm advises in the resource that organizations' focus must shift to creating content that AI systems can easily interpret, prioritize, and deliver in response to user intent. For exclusive and timely commentary from Shashi Bellamkonda, a MarTech expert, and access to the complete Stay Relevant in the Era of AI-Powered Search blueprint, please contact pr@ Media Passes to Info-Tech LIVE 2025 in Las Vegas Registration is now open for Info-Tech LIVE 2025 in Las Vegas, taking place June 10 to 12, 2025, at Bellagio in Las Vegas. This premier event offers journalists, podcasters, and media influencers access to exclusive content, the latest IT research and trends, and the opportunity to interview industry experts, analysts, and speakers. To apply for media passes to attend the event or gain access to research and expert insights on trending topics, please contact pr@ Exhibitors are also invited to be part of Info-Tech LIVE and showcase their products and services to a highly engaged audience of IT decision-makers. For more information about becoming an Info-Tech LIVE exhibitor, please contact events@ About Info-Tech Research Group Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading research and advisory firms, serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations. To learn more about Info-Tech's divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software buying insights. Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact pr@ For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit and connect via LinkedIn and X. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
