Early Apple tech bloggers are shocked to find their name and work have been AI-zombified
Early Apple tech bloggers find that their names and articles have been replicated using AI, causing significant distress and legal threats.
Former authors of The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW), such as Christina Warren, discovered that their names and work have been falsely used on the blog by its new owner. Shut down by AOL in 2015, TUAW was recently acquired by Web Orange Limited, which started posting AI-altered articles under the names of these old writers who have not worked for the site in over a decade.
Christina Warren and other former authors like Brett Terpstra, Chris Rawson, and Chris Ullrich found their names and photos replaced with AI-generated versions, generating shock and anger among them. The new TUAW's 'About Us' page claims to have rewritten old content to modern standards, but the authors are particularly disturbed by the addition of new content attributed to them.
Despite her initial outrage and a firmly worded email threatening legal action, Warren felt somewhat relieved after her name was removed from the new TUAW. The incident highlights the unethical use of AI to recreate and falsely attribute journalism work, and it raises questions about the integrity of Web Orange Limited, which also owns other sites like iLounge and Soup.io.