Popular US news app accused of using AI to make up fake stories

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the issues surrounding the news app NewsBreak, which has been publishing fictitious stories written by AI since 2021, according to Reuters. The app publishes licensed content from legitimate news sources, but it also uses AI tools to rewrite press releases and local news, leading to the publication of false news stories. The article provides several examples of such false stories, including a claim of a shooting in New Jersey that never happened, and inaccurate reporting on food bank and charity events. The article also discusses NewsBreak's connection to China, with former employees stating that the app's China-based engineers do most of the work on its algorithms, despite the app presenting itself as a US-based company.

🙋 Q&A

[01] NewsBreak's Use of AI to Generate Fictitious Stories

1. What are the key issues with NewsBreak's use of AI to generate news stories?

• NewsBreak has been publishing fictitious stories written by AI since 2021, according to Reuters
• The app publishes licensed content from legitimate news sources, but also uses AI tools to rewrite press releases and local news, leading to the publication of false news stories
• Examples of false stories include a claim of a shooting in New Jersey that never happened, and inaccurate reporting on food bank and charity events

2. How did NewsBreak respond to the issues with its false reporting?

• NewsBreak removed the false stories involving charities after Reuters notified the company
• In March, NewsBreak added a warning on its homepage that its content "may not always be error-free"

[02] NewsBreak's Connection to China

1. What is the connection between NewsBreak and China?

• NewsBreak is only available in the US and was launched as a subsidiary of the China-based company Yidian, which is partly owned by a Chinese state-linked media firm
• One of NewsBreak's primary investors is IDG Capital, a Beijing-based company that the Pentagon says is affiliated with the Chinese military
• Former employees stated that NewsBreak's China-based engineers do most of the work on its algorithms, even though the app presents itself as a US-based company with US investors

2. How does NewsBreak address its connection to China?

• NewsBreak CEO Jeff Zheng stated that the company complies with US data and privacy laws and that its Chinese staff can only access anonymous data stored on servers based in the United States
• The article notes that despite its connection to China, Reuters did not find evidence that NewsBreak has published stories that showed the Chinese government in a positive light