10 months ago
Times of London Editor Calls ChatGPT De Blasio Interview "Humiliating"
A newspaper called The Times of London made a mistake.
One of their reporters thought they were interviewing Bill de Blasio, a former mayor.
But it wasn't really him!
It was someone pretending to be him, and they used a computer program called ChatGPT to write what they wanted to say.
This made the newspaper look silly, and an editor said it was 'humiliating.'
The newspaper had to take down the story and apologize because it wasn't true.
The editor said they should have been more careful to check if they were really talking to the right person.
A reporter from The Times of London was reportedly duped into publishing an interview with someone impersonating former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The impostor used ChatGPT to compose responses criticizing Zohran Mamdani's campaign.
Ian Brunskill, an associate editor at The Times, described the incident as "humiliating" and damaging to the newspaper's reputation.
The Times has retracted the story and apologized to Bill de Blasio.
The incident highlights concerns about journalistic ethics and the potential for AI to be used in news hoaxes.
- Who
- Ian Brunskill, an associate editor at The Times of London, and a reporter for The Times
- What
- A reporter from The Times of London was duped into publishing a story based on an interview with an individual impersonating former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, who used ChatGPT to compose responses. This led to the article's retraction and internal criticism within The Times.
- Where
- The Times of London newsroom and the content of the fake interview.
- When
- The article was published earlier this week, and the internal email of criticism was sent subsequently.
- Why
- The reporter was misled by an individual falsely claiming to be Bill de Blasio, who then used AI to generate interview responses.
The Times' Perspective
De Blasio's Perspective
Accuracy of Interview Content
The Times' Perspective
The Times acknowledges the reporter was misled and has retracted the article, apologizing for the error.
De Blasio's Perspective
Bill de Blasio states the quotes attributed to him were "entirely false and fabricated" and calls the situation an "absolute violation of journalistic ethics."
Responsibility for Due Diligence
The Times' Perspective
Associate editor Ian Brunskill stated the incident "could have been avoided by good practice and due diligence" and that "There are no excuses."
De Blasio's Perspective
De Blasio's comments imply a failure by the newspaper to properly vet their sources and ensure they were speaking to the actual former mayor.
Key facts
- Publication
- The Times of London
- Associate Editor
- Ian Brunskill
- Source of Hoax
- Individual posing as Bill de Blasio
- Impostor's Method
- Used ChatGPT for composed responses
- Article Retraction
- Yes
Quotes
Bill de Blasio
former New York City Mayor
“entirely false and fabricated”
deadline.com
“absolute violation of journalistic ethics.”
deadline.com
Ian Brunskill
an associate editor at The Times of London
“We should have been on our guard. We should have tried much harder to speak to the people concerned. There are no excuses.”
deadline.com
The impostor
a Long Island wine importer posing as Bill de Blasio
“While the ambition is admirable, the cost estimates – reportedly exceeding $7bn annually – rest on optimistic assumptions about eliminating waste and raising revenue through new taxes. In my view, the math doesn’t hold up under scrutiny, and the political hurdles are substantial.”
deadline.com
The Times of London
a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch
“The Times has apologised to Bill de Blasio and removed the article immediately after discovering that our reporter had been misled by an individual falsely claiming to be the former New York mayor.”
deadline.com
