How AI Slop Is Damaging Our News Media

**TL;DR:** AI-generated fake experts, fake protest posters, and synthetic photos of Trump are quietly eroding the credibility of news media, and some outlets are amplifying the spread of misinformation by reporting without verification. ## How AI junk is infecting news media AI-generated content – whether it's mindless "soap opera" videos, fake expert avatars, or seemingly realistic protest posters – is quietly changing how we get our news. While many news organizations have publicly stated their AI usage policies, external AI applications are seeping into mainstream reporting, threatening the integrity of original journalism. This article, based on an analysis by YouTube channel Mikeltee, breaks down three ways AI junk is influencing the news. ## AI-generated "experts": hallucinations from press releases Many companies include "expert" quotes in press releases to promote their brands or products. But an investigation by UK-based Press Gazette found that a large number of these experts simply don't exist – they're just AI-generated stock avatars, or worse: adult entertainment stars. These so-called experts have no official titles or certified medical backgrounds, yet they offer medical advice, pest control guidance, or personal finance tips. For example: - A widely quoted "gut health expert" with no medical qualifications nonetheless dispensed health advice in e-commerce press releases. - An "e-commerce expert" from a carpet company gave pest control solutions. - The CEO of a coupon website called himself a "personal finance expert." Even more concerning, these articles appeared on major outlets like *The Sun* and *Daily Mirror*. Those outlets only removed the articles after being called out. This highlights a serious failure in newsroom verification: many organizations essentially turn press releases from Word documents into printed copy, with perhaps only two people checking the content. AI-generated "experts" are slipping into our news this way. ## Fake protest posters: why media report first, verify later A poster for a "UK fuel protest" circulated on social media: it claimed a massive protest would take place on major roads to pressure the government over fuel prices. The poster was full of red flags: - Background featured the Union Jack (UK flag) instead of England's St George's Cross; the protest was supposedly in England, but it said "UK". - Time listed as "12:00 noon" – British English typically says "12:00 p.m." or just "noon". - Location list included roads on the Scottish and Welsh borders. - No contact details for the organizer, making verification impossible. - Over-the-top design: no truck drivers in sight, background full of explosions and smoke – clearly AI-generated. Despite this, local and national media contacted police for statements, and some outlets (like Reach plc's papers) even listed affected roads without attempting to verify the poster's origin. Most egregiously, Newsquest's *Wiltshire Times* and *Reading Chronicle*, in order to cover the "possible chaos" on the M4, launched a live blog: - 9:39: Good morning, mentions possible M4 protest. - 9:56: Directly posts the poster. - After 12:00: Silence. - 16:36: Thanks for following, blog closed. It turned out that no protest ever happened. By assuming the event would definitely occur and launching a blog, the outlets ended up looking foolish while causing significant confusion on Facebook. The core issue: newsrooms failed to treat the social media post critically, didn't actively verify the source, and instead amplified a fake event. ## Trump's AI junk: when the most powerful person spreads fakes freely The most powerful person on Earth – Donald Trump – has long been sharing AI-generated content on Truth Social: him playing soccer with Ronaldo, taking selfies with a lion, acting as Superman, becoming a Sith Lord... Recently, he posted a photo of himself as the Pope (while simultaneously in conflict with the real Pope), an image depicting himself as Jesus Christ, and a synthetic photo of him brandishing a gun at Iran. A reporter asked him directly: "Mr. President, did you post that image of yourself as Jesus Christ?" Trump replied: "That's not me portraying myself. That's me. I did post it. I thought it was me acting as a doctor, related to the Red Cross... I make people better as a doctor, and I do make people better." The response promptly sparked a new round of mockery and criticism. Note: This is AI junk created by the President of the United States. Those meme-like images that your uncle might share on Facebook have now become something news media have to cover. Religious groups (including his conservative supporters) criticized them. By questioning and reporting on him, the media also, to some extent, normalize the absurdity. As the video author said: "There are so many major issues in the world, and we're reporting on Trump posting a selfie with a lion." ## Conclusion: AI junk and the future of news AI junk isn't going away anytime soon. It cheapens news and puts media in a dilemma: ignoring it might mean failing in their watchdog role, while reporting it can help spread it. Whether it's fake experts, fake protests, or a president's synthetic photos, media need stricter verification mechanisms – otherwise, the loss of trust will be scarier than AI itself. If you find more cases of media publishing AI junk, feel free to discuss – maybe a follow-up video will come. Source: https://youtu.be/XrTlbFB04LE