In the aftermath of revelations that Sports Illustrated published AI-generated articles with fake authors and then covered it up, staffers are fed up.
Early Monday, Futurism reported SI’s use of AI content. SI reportedly took author headshots from AI databases and published some AI-generated work under these authors’ names. After Futurism reached out to SI and its owner, Arena Group, the articles were no longer up.
“If true, these practices violate everything we believe in about journalism,” the SI Union wrote in a statement signed “The Humans of Sports Illustrated.”
“We deplore being associated with something so disrespectful to our readers.”
Our response to today’s story from @futurism reporting that The Arena Group has published AI-written stories by fake people under the Sports Illustrated name: pic.twitter.com/QcR4iGOi5w
— Sports Illustrated Union (@si_union) November 27, 2023
Throughout Monday, SI writers weighed in. Reactions scaled from co-signing the union statement to outright animosity toward SI management.
Co-sign. https://t.co/f8c3yPxyEC
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) November 27, 2023
As SI copy chief, I stand by my hardworking @si_union colleagues https://t.co/vCBK3fWUgy
— Julie Kliegman (@jmkliegman) November 27, 2023
as a former human of SI, I furiously second: https://t.co/YslRJJjYH7
— S.L. Price (@bySLPrice) November 27, 2023
“I take seriously the weight of a Sports Illustrated byline,” wrote MLB reporter Emma Baccellieri on X. “It meant something to me long before I ever dreamed of working here. This report was horrifying to read.”
Along with basic principles of honesty, trust, journalistic ethics, etc. — I take seriously the weight of a Sports Illustrated byline. It meant something to me long before I ever dreamed of working here. This report was horrifying to read. https://t.co/O5LJ6DnJHs
— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) November 27, 2023
College football reporter Richard Johnson called the fiasco “antithetical to everything SI should stand for.”
https://twitter.com/RJ_cfb/status/1729248241034952899
Feature reporter Michael Rosenberg called out management for working against the best interests of the staff.
“It’s so disappointing when people* in our own company undermine our work,” he wrote on X.
Our staff works so hard to carry on Sports Illustrated's tradition of great journalism. It's so disappointing when people* in our own company undermine our work. https://t.co/Ukk7aOjkNg
— Michael Rosenberg (@Rosenberg_Mike) November 27, 2023
NFL writer Albert Breer said the AI practices were a blemish on SI’s legacy.
I'm really proud to follow in the legacy of a lot of great journalists I grew up reading in @SInow, which influenced me, just as great sports reporters of the @BostonGlobe did, to do what I do for a living.
What's happened here is certainly not that. https://t.co/HlL4aoYfso
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 27, 2023
Clearly, AI is not yet at a point at which readers and staffers accept it as real content creation. Particularly at a moment in which journalism business models are already decaying and in need of transformation, creating subpar work with machines is not going over well.
While social media and 24/7 news have altered how people get sports news, the thirst for it is as great as ever.
Journalism can still make money. Unfortunately, SI management is alienating workers and consumers with troubling practices rather than truly innovating.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.