First I would like to wish all the mothers that visit IST a very happy Mother’s Day.
This seems to be the big story for the past month or so….the rise of ChatGPT…..it can be used for writing anything like blog posts to news stories to fiction…..
There has been worries for the future of actual journalism (as subjective as that is)…..
2023 World Press Freedom Index on Wednesday warned that the rapidly growing artificial intelligence and fake content industries are endangering the livelihoods of journalists around the world and cutting down on people’s ability to access fact-based news.
The annual report, released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), includes a section titled “Effects of the fake content industry,” which notes that out of 180 countries evaluated by the group, 118 of them reported “massive disinformation or propaganda campaigns” in which political figures have been involved.
“The unprecedented ability to tamper with content is blurring the lines between true and false,” RSF said in a video shared on social media as it released the report.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/fake-content-ai-threat-journalism
That said I need to get back to the meat of the title of this post……
Looks like China has made the first reported arrest of someone using ChatGPT……
Mere mortals have done no shortage of tongue-wagging and fretting over ChatGPT: The “godfather” of AI is done with it, Elon Musk is going to reinvent it, and now China has apparently given us our first arrest over it. As Quartz reports, China arrested a man in Gansu province, identified only by the surname of Hong, for the offense of using ChatGPT to generate a story about a fake train crash involving fatalities and subsequently publishing it online.
The problem (other than the obvious why?): ChatGPT is illegal in China—which tends to keep an eye on its people’s internet habits—and has been since Jan. 10, per Reuters. The story, uploaded to Chinese social media on April 25, garnered a relatively meager total of 15,000 hits before authorities cracked down. Per Quartz, Hong faces a charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” which could land him five years in prison if convicted.
Let me reiterate….I have NO intention of ever letting a program write my posts for me. I am not lazy and I can read and think for myself.
Moms enjoy your day and be safe…..
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
In Saner Thought 
As long as there is freedom of speech and as long as the content generated by AI does not cause anyone harm, then it is going to be the technology of our communications future. I use it for research sometimes myself. But I too always write my own stuff.
If it is used in any journalistic fashion then the harm is done…..sorry John I do not see it just like I could not see crypto as the money of the future. chuq
nor the internal combuston engine as the mechanical driver of the future…or the telephone replacing written letters …
More to come on AI….I will continue to resist. chuq
I’m with you, and will never resort to AI for stories or blog posts. Bad enough that it is being used to write non-fiction articles and fake product reviews.
Best wishes, Pete.
Maybe I am old but my brain still works and I will depend on it as long as I can chuq
Resist all you want but nobody can stop progress and those who try will be overcome by it in the end. AI is the new inescapable fact of life.
Then I will die in my resistance…..My brain still works and I will use it for all it is worth. chuq
Hello there,
I noticed your post
Great article! It’s interesting how ChatGPT is changing the landscape of content creation, but also concerning how it can lead to the spread of fake news and endanger journalism. The case of the arrest in China shows that there need to be regulations around its usage. Do you think there should be stricter measures to prevent the spread of false information through ChatGPT?
Thanks again
– Stephen Wilk
Thanx for the visit and the comment. To answer your question…..I am an old fart so I do my own research and writing so yes I think there should be some better control over the use of this as a news source. chuq