Gavin Lane

ALT On June 29, G/O Media informed editorial staff that it will begin a “modest test” of artificial intelligence (AI) content on its websites—The A.V. Club, Deadspin, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku, Quartz, The Root, and The Takeout. As the unionized editorial staffers of G/O Media, organized with the Writers Guild of America East, we are appalled by this news. The hard work of journalists cannot be replaced by unreliable AI programs notorious for creating falsehoods and plagiarizing the work of real writers. Our newsrooms have spent decades building trust with audiences—introducing computer-generated garbage undermines our ability to do our jobs, erodes trust in us as journalists, damages our brands, and threatens our jobs. This news comes after years of disinvestment in our newsrooms, increased demands on reporters and editors, and mass attrition of staff. Furthermore, it comes mere days after the company laid off more than a dozen of our colleagues, including union employees.