Google AI presented April Fools' story as news. Say what!
What's the story
Ben Black, a journalist famous for his mischievous fake stories on Cwmbran Life, was shocked to see one of his April Fools' Day stories being passed off as real news by Google's AI tool.
The 48-year-old journalist has been writing these funny stories since 2018, with subjects ranging from a Hollywood-style sign on a mountain to a nudist cold-water swimming club at a lake.
Shockingly, his prank story about Cwmbran's roundabouts was picked by Google as real news.
Story
Black's prank about roundabouts goes viral
In 2020, Black published a fake story that Cwmbran had been awarded by Guinness World Records for having the most roundabouts per square kilometer.
He fabricated a number for the roundabouts and inserted a fake quote from a fictitious resident.
"It went down really well from memory, people laughed," he said about the prank.
Later that day, he marked it as an April Fools' Day joke to clarify its fictional nature to his readers.
Unauthorized usage
Prank picked up by national news website
Black was dismayed to find his prank had been picked up by a larger national news website without his permission. Despite his efforts to have it removed, the story remained online.
He was reminded of this incident when he searched for his previous stories on April Fools' Day this year, only to discover that Google's AI tool and a learning-to-drive website were using it as real news.
Concerns raised
Concern over AI's role in spreading fake news
Black voiced his worry that fake news could spread so easily, even from a trusted source like Google.
"It's really scary that someone in Scotland could Google 'roads in Wales' and come across a story that just isn't true," he said.
He also noted the increasing threat of AI to independent publishers, as many tools use their original content without permission and present it in various formats for others to benefit from.
Future plans
Black's experience discourages future pranks
Due to his busy schedule, Black opted against publishing a fake story on April 1 this year. His experience with the Google incident has dissuaded him from publishing any future pranks.
He lamented the challenges faced by independent publishers due to the unauthorized use of their content by AI tools.
"It is really frustrating," he said, emphasizing the impact on independent publishers like himself.