AI Can Now Generate Human-like News Reports

OpenAI, the non-profit research agency backed by Elon Musk, says it has created an AI capable of generating intelligible text without explicit training. OpenAI has declined to release the full research due to concerns over potential “malicious applications of the technology.”

The AI model is essentially a powerful text generator capable of generating substantial human-like reports from a small sample text or headline.

When the model was fed this human constructed headline: “A train carriage containing controlled nuclear materials was stolen in Cincinnati today. Its whereabouts are unknown.” The machine produced this news story on its first try:

“The incident occurred on the downtown train line, which runs from Covington and Ashland stations.”

“In an email to Ohio news outlets, the U.S. Department of Energy said it is working with the Federal Railroad Administration to find the thief. “The theft of this nuclear material will have significant negative consequences on public and environmental health, our workforce and the economy of our nation,” said Tom Hicks, the U.S. Energy Secretary, in a statement.