Quartz, the global business news outlet, has been quietly publishing AI-generated news articles under the “Quartz Intelligence Newsroom” byline, aggregating content from outlets. Initially, Quartz began with simple AI-generated earnings reports, but has since expanded to producing short articles. As of Monday afternoon, 18 AI-generated articles had been published, including one titled “South Korea shares preliminary findings on Jeju Air crash investigation,” which combines reporting from CNN, MSN, and The Associated Press.
These AI-generated pieces are typically around 400 words and lack direct quotes, with sources only cited at the beginning of the articles. Quartz has confirmed the existence of a “purely experimental” AI newsroom, though it has not disclosed which AI models or tools are being used. The editorial team reviews each AI-generated article before publication, with the aim of allowing staff to focus on more in-depth reporting.
However, the quality control has been questioned, as some articles have shown signs of poor writing and factual inconsistencies. For example, one article contained contradictory statements about jobless claims, leading to criticism of the AI-generated content’s reliability. Despite this, Quartz’s corporate parent, G/O Media, has stated that reader engagement with the AI stories has far exceeded expectations.
AI-generated content offers a cost-effective way for publishers like Quartz to generate stories without the expense of salaried employees. This move follows similar efforts by other media outlets like CNET and Gannett, who have also experimented with AI-produced articles, though often with mixed results.
