Multiple news organisations have taken down articles written by an alleged freelance journalist that now appear to have been generated by AI.
On Thursday, Press Gazette reported that at least six publications, including Wired and Business Insider, have removed articles from their websites in recent months after it was discovered that the stories – written under the name of Margaux Blanchard – were AI-generated.
Wired published a story titled “They Fell in Love Playing Minecraft. Then the Game Became Their Wedding Venue” in May. A few weeks later, the outlet took down the story, stating in an editor’s note: “After an additional review of the article … Wired editorial leadership has determined this article does not meet our editorial standards.”
The story cited a “Jessica Hu”, an alleged 34-year old “ordained officiant based in Chicago” who reportedly “made a name for herself as a ‘digital celebrant’, specialising in ceremonies across Twitch, Discord and VRChat”, according to Press Gazette, which reviewed the Wired article.
Both the Press Gazette and the Guardian were not able to verify the identity of Hu.
Press Gazette further reported that in April, Business Insider published two essays by Blanchard titled: “Remote work has been the best thing for me as a parent but the worst as a person” and “I had my first kid at 45. I’m financially stable and have years of life experience to guide me.”
Earlier this week, Business Insider removed the articles after Press Gazette alerted the outlet over the authenticity of the author. Both article pages now feature a message saying that the stories were “removed because [they] didn’t meet Business Insider’s standards”.
The Guardian has contacted both Wired and Business Insider for comment.
Press Gazette says it was first alerted to the inauthenticity of Blanchard’s articles by Jacob Furedi, editor of a new magazine called Dispatch. Furedi said that he received a pitch from Blanchard earlier this month about “Gravemont, a decommissioned mining town in rural Colorado that has been repurposed into one of the world’s most secretive training grounds for death investigation”.
In the pitch, which Furedi shared with Press Gazette, Blanchard wrote: “I want to tell the story of the scientists, ex-cops, and former miners who now handle the dead daily – not as mourners, but as archivists of truth. I’ll explore the ethical tightrope of using real human remains in staged environments, the shadow economy of body donations, and the emotional toll on those who make a living from simulated tragedy.
“I’m the right person for this because I’ve reported on hidden training sites before, have clearance contacts in forensic circles, and know how to navigate sensitive, closed-off communities with empathy and discretion,” she added.
Furedi told the Press Gazette that pitch sounded like it was generated by ChatGPT and couldn’t find details about Gravemont. The Guardian has…
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