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A glimpse into the news future?

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* Associated Press headline…

Johnson and Southern Illinois host UIC

First line of that AP story…

Southern Illinois Salukis (14-8, 6-5 MVC) at UIC Flames (8-14, 1-10 MVC) Chicago; Saturday, 2 p.m. EST

SIU is not hosting UIC. It’s the other way around. The game is in Chicago.

Also, the SIU player named “Johnson” is never once identified beyond his last name.

* Now scroll to the end…

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Data Skrive website…

Here at Data Skrive, we have been closing following the developments in Generative AI for the last several years, and we’re always researching and developing improvements to help us continually provide the best experience for our customers and sports fans. We use generative AI as a ‘co-pilot’ to create engaging and insightful sports content at scale so that fans can read about their favorite players, teams, leagues, and sports at any time, all the time.

The common concern with using generative AI for content creation is the quality and accuracy of the content. While it’s true that generative AI technologies have encountered challenges related to content inaccuracies and ‘hallucinations,’ it’s important to recognize that AI tools are only as good as what the human user is asking them to do.

Sportradar website…

We use data and technology to:

Keep betting operators ahead of the curve with the products and services they need to manage their sportsbook

Give media companies the tools to engage more with fans

Give teams, leagues and federations the data they need to thrive

Keep the industry clean by detecting and preventing fraud, doping and match fixing.

AI and a sports betting-related company creating sub-par stories for the AP that wouldn’t be approved by a high school newspaper editor. Lovely.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 11:43 am

Comments

“Data Skrive”

At least the name reflects the quality of the service.

(I know it means “to write” but do they?)

Comment by Blue Bayou Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 11:46 am
Apparently a typo in the presumably generative AI generated press release from the company. That tracks. AI is garbage at even basic sports journalism but publishers are fanatical about not paying for human content creators.

Comment by Give Us Barabbas Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 11:48 am
“Where” and “who” were always the least important of the 5 Ws of journalism.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 11:53 am
What is this, Illinois Playbook?

Comment by Drury's Missing Clock Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 11:54 am
Journalism, songwriting, etc - authorship of a piece ought to be required: “this drivel created by AI”.

Comment by Siualum Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 11:59 am
Lots of tech/Internet-based companies seem to have completely abandoned product quality as a concept. Over the past few years, ordinary Google searches have become nearly useless. Twitter/X is no longer reliable for breaking news. Scams and grifts are replacing actual products.

This should be creating an enormous market inefficiency that others could take advantage of. There has to be a way to make decent money by consistently putting out high-quality products, but all the momentum is in the other direction.

Comment by vern Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 11:59 am
Are there any media companies that have considered making it their brand that they are 100% AI-free?

Whenever I see something advertised as being made with AI or having AI features my wallet closes fast.

Call me a Luddite if you will, but I feel like the Luddite market share is being left on the table.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:02 pm
Musical interlude: “In the year 2025…if journalism is still alive…”

Comment by NIU Grad Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:08 pm
I went to SIU in the great basketball days of the Abrams brothers, actually won an NCAA game and almost beat Wake Forest in the second round. The Daily Egyption would never make that mistake

Comment by James the Intolerant Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:08 pm
==This should be creating an enormous market inefficiency that others could take advantage of. There has to be a way to make decent money by consistently putting out high-quality products, but all the momentum is in the other direction.==

Today, Apple is releasing a $3,500 VR headset that, to most neutral reviewers, seems underwhelming and undercooked. That’s Apple, the tech brand perhaps most synonymous with “Yes, it costs more, but you know you’ll get your money’s worth from us.” They’re now in the business of making the line go up eternally and increasingly faster, like so many others. And the easiest ways to do that are to offer less for more money under the assumption that most will take what’s offered, or cutting staff. I’ve seen it referred to as “The Rot Economy.” Cory Doctorow also coined a perfect term for it which I cannot type here.

This is why, sometimes, you end up in a T-top airplane nowadays.

Comment by Roadrager Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:10 pm
Other than getting nothing right this AI generated splat got nothing wrongs. Go Dawgs !

Comment by Stormsw7706 Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:21 pm
NIU Grad with another Huskie winner.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:21 pm
The dumbed down graduates of the dumbed down schools won’t notice the dumbed down news …

Comment by RNUG Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:22 pm
=Call me a Luddite if you will=

I’m right there with ya!

Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:26 pm
I am increasingly seeing AI-generated news. You can tell because it doesn’t read well and often makes little sense. If this is our future, God help us all.

Comment by New Day Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:29 pm
=The dumbed down graduates of the dumbed down schools won’t notice the dumbed down news …=

RNUG, with respect…I am guessing they are not college graduates and possibly even not high school graduates. The number of people, especially in rural Illinois where I live, that don’t see a value in graduating high school has been on the rise for more than a decade. It went into hyper drive about 8 years ago. It is disheartening, but one of our political parties seems to be encouraging this trend while the other party says they want kids to graduate but then removes all the tools schools have and student accountability for the process. But point taken.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:31 pm
It would appear that Johnson and SIU hosted UIC back on Dec. 30.
Then again, It’s an AP Data Skrive report so who knows what actually happened …

Johnson’s 31 lead Southern Illinois past UIC 62-50
ByData Skrive
Dec 30, 2023, 09:49 pm

CARBONDALE, Ill. — — Xavier Johnson scored 31 points as Southern Illinois beat UIC 62-50 on Saturday night.

Johnson also had five assists for the Salukis (9-4, 1-1 Missouri Valley Conference). Clarence Rupert scored 12 points while finishing 6 of 9 from the floor, and added six rebounds and four blocks. Kennard Davis went 2 of 5 from the field to finish with seven points.

Isaiah Rivera finished with 18 points for the Flames (7-6, 0-2). Christian Jones added nine points and two steals for UIC. Jaden Brownell also had nine points and three blocks.

——

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:42 pm
It’s the second coming of Journatic. This time with special AI flavor!

Comment by jackmac Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:44 pm
“Johnson and Southern Illinois”

That player is one Xavier Johnson who is having an incredible Senior year. Story from a real reporter…

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/basketball/sius-xavier-johnson-one-of-nations-top-scorers-has-helped-salukis-surpass-expectations/article_269a18ea-af47-11ee-9720-4fadd91861e6.html

Comment by Donnie Elgin Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:52 pm
JS Mills, again with respect … on average, a BA today seems to have the same or less value than a high school degree did 50 or 60 years ago. Yes, there are well educated graduates coming out of schools, but from what I see, they tend to be in the minority. We are in an age of fantastic information availability, but we seem to have less knowledge than ever.

And I’m sorry if I offended anyone; I’m in a grumpy old man mood today.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:54 pm
It is close most times stories are 2-3 days late.

Comment by Annon'in Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:58 pm
Great Post.
Also UIC has a really nice arena to watch a basketball game. A game between SIU and UIC would be a good way to spend some time in the city.
Agree with RNUG, but also appreciate the comments by JSMill.

Comment by Back to the Future Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 12:59 pm
The drive to generate more content cheaper will just make everything worse. It is another side of the same thing we see playing out in the Trib strike, hollywood writer’s strike, and everywhere else.

The MBA c-suite guys see artists, writers, designers, etc as costs to be cut, and expect the public to not notice that the product is going to complete crap.

We as consumers have to vote with our feet so to speak and show that we won’t accept this sort of product.

Comment by Homebody Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 1:04 pm
A recruiter sent an AI generated paragraph to me. I replied, “AI botched the use of singular and plural pronouns.” Such an egregious error.

Comment by Rudy’s teeth Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 1:19 pm
So, since I was doing stats for football and basketball my senior year of high school, the local paper asked if I could do the stories for their weekly. Lately, I could submit articles to the Tribune of an equal quality. BTW, I graduated from college as an engineer.

Comment by Bogey Golfer Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 2:02 pm
Q. HAL, do you just make up news according to a certain pre-conceived agenda?

A. Didn’t say…do you have another question?

Comment by Dotnonymous x Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 2:08 pm
Go Dawgs

Comment by So_Ill Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 2:20 pm
AI “news” will help us in our race to the bottom…beware.

Comment by Dotnonymous x Friday, Feb 2, 24 @ 2:38 pm