Amid the artificial intelligence boom in 2022, CNET began using the technology to write some articles – but eventually faced criticism and removed some of the material due to a large number of errors and plagiarism.
Because of this, Wikipedia downgraded CNET's ranking on a separate page listing “trusted information sources,” the Futurism report said.
“CNET, generally considered a trusted tech source, has begun experimentally running AI-generated articles that are riddled with errors,” wrote Wikipedia editor David Gerard. “Any of these articles that end up in Wikipedia articles should be removed.”
Wikipedia's Reliable Sources page currently contains three entries for CNET, divided into three time periods:
until October 2020, when Wikipedia considered CNET a “generally reliable” source; between October 2020 and today, when Wikipedia notes that the site was acquired by Red Ventures, “resulting in a deterioration in editorial standards” and states that there is no consensus on reliability; between November 2022 and January 2023, when Wikipedia deemed CNET “generally unreliable” because the site began using AI tools “to rapidly produce articles riddled with factual inaccuracies and affiliate links.”
Futurism notes that the issue with CNET's AI-generated content has also sparked a broader debate in the Wikipedia community at large regarding the reliability of Red Ventures-owned sources such as Bankrate and CreditCards.com. These sites published AI-generated content around the same time period as CNET. Editors also criticized Red Ventures for its lack of information about where and how AI was being implemented, further undermining the credibility of the company's publications.
In response to declining ratings and controversy surrounding AI-generated content, CNET released a statement asserting that the site maintains high editorial standards:
“CNET is the world's largest provider of unbiased news and advice focused on technology. We've been trusted for nearly 30 years for our rigorous editorial and product review standards. It's important to clarify that CNET does not actively use artificial intelligence to create new content. While we have no specific plans, any future initiatives will be accompanied by our public policy on AI.”
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