A fledgling reporter in Wyoming resigned from his job and his former employer issued an apology after a rival outlet discovered that the reporter had been using AI to help write his stories.Aaron Pelczar, 40, began working for the Cody Enterprise in early June, having no prior journalism experience. By August 9, he had resigned after allegedly admitting to CJ Baker of the Powell Tribune that he had used an AI tool to generate some of his writing, including quotes that were either fully made-up, misattributed, or combined with other statements.'Obviously I’ve never intentionally tried to misquote anybody.'Baker spoke with Pelczar and Enterprise editor Chris Bacon last Friday after finding that some of Pelczar's articles used unnecessarily lofty words or language that would otherwise be inappropriate in news pieces."This incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of human behavior, even in the most serene settings," read part of an article Pelczar allegedly composed about a deadly shooting in Yellowstone National Park last month.Perhaps even worse, a June 26 article announcing that Larry the Cable Guy had been chosen to be the grand marshal of the Cody Stampede Parade apparently included a sidebar writing tip."The 2024 Cody Stampede Parade promises to be an unforgettable celebration of American independence, led by one of comedy’s most beloved figures," the article said. "This structure ensures that the most critical information is presented first, making it easier for readers to grasp the main points quickly (emphasis added)."When Baker confronted Pelczar about the issues, Pelczar more or less confessed, telling Baker it "could be the case" that he used an AI program when writing some of his pieces. He declined to name the particular program he may have used.Pelczar reportedly told Baker that he had pulled some "all-nighters" since taking the job and found that AI tools "give color and context" to stories."I hate to say it’s the future, because it’s the now," Pelczar said, according to Baker."Obviously I’ve never intentionally tried to misquote anybody."While speaking with Baker, Pelczar claimed he would "correct" any errant quotations and "issue apologies" for them. He also noted that he hoped his missteps would not reflect poorly on the Enterprise. "They’re taking what I bring in at face value," he insisted.Shortly following the meeting with Baker, Pelczar resigned from the Enterprise.On Monday, Enterprise editor Chris Bacon issued a mea culpa, taking responsibility for not conducting better oversight of his employee's work."I apologize, reader, that AI was allowed to put words that were never spoken into stories," Bacon wrote.Bacon insisted that "the buck stops" with him and that it was his "job" to identify the fabrications. He also promised to "do better" in the future.Bacon did not name Pelczar in the editorial, chalking up the falsified quotes to the mistakes of "a hurried rookie reporter that trusted AI."Thus far, Bacon has unearthed AI-generated quotes from seven people who told Bacon they never spoke with Pelczar. Among them is Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R)."In one case, [Pelczar] wrote a story about a new OSHA rule that included a quote from the Governor that was entirely fabricated," Michael Pearlman, a spokesman for the governor, said in an email."In a second case, he appeared to fabricate a portion of a quote, and then combined it with a portion of a quote that was included in a news release announcing the new director of our Wyoming Game and Fish Department."In another instance, Pelczar's article about a liquor store manager who allegedly embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars contained an alleged statement from store owner Brandon McArtor. In Pelczar's reporting, McArtor called the allegations against the manager "incredibly disheartening," even as no other outlet reported a quote from McArtor.McArtor told Baker he never spoke with Pelczar. "Those are words that I very well could have said," McArtor explained, "but they are not what I said.""Journalism needs to be transparent and needs to be accurate."In an interview with the New York Post, Bacon seemingly acknowledged that the AI fabrications in Pelczar's pieces were remarkably sophisticated. "They’re very believable quotes," he said.Enterprise publisher Megan Barton called AI "the new, advanced form of plagiarism.""Plagiarism is something every media outlet has had to correct at some point or another," she continued. "It’s the ugly part of the job. But, a company willing to right (or quite literally write) these wrongs is a reputable one."Pelczar did not respond to message left by the AP, the Post reported.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Sometimes a game comes along with an idea that doesn’t just fire up the neurons in excitement, it makes you wonder how on earth it’ll even work. Spectre Divide is an upcoming FPS that does just that, with a core concept called Duality that’s the most interesting thing to hit the genre for years. It looks like plenty are also enticed by what this Valorant and CS2 rival has to offer, as thousands are diving into its current closed beta. Continue reading The beta for CS2 rival Spectre Divide is exploding on Steam right now MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best free PC games, Best multiplayer games

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Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Sonos has explored the possibility of rereleasing its previous mobile app for Android and iOS — a clear sign of what an ordeal the company’s hurried redesign has become. The Verge can report that there have been discussions high up within Sonos about bringing back the prior version of the app, known as S2, as the company continues toiling away at improving the performance and addressing bugs with the overhauled design that rolled out in May to a flood of negative feedback. (The new Sonos app currently has a 1.3-star review average on Google Play.) Letting customers fall back to the older software could ease their frustrations and reduce at least some of the pressure on Sonos to rectify every issue with the new app. At least for now, the... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Disney wants a Florida court to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit at a Disney-affiliated restaurant based on terms of service for the entertainment giant’s website and streaming video services. The company argues that a couple agreed to an arbitration clause when one of them bought tickets to Disney World — and in an even more distant connection, when signing up for Disney Plus years before. The lawsuit, filed in February, concerns a 42-year-old woman named Kanokporn Tangsuan, who died due to an allergic reaction that occurred after eating at one of the restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort’s Disney Springs area in October 2023. As noted in the suit, Tangsuan and her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, allegedly chose the restaurant because it... Continue reading…