NewsGuard recently discovered 49 news websites that were almost all AI-generated. These sites (often called newsbots) leverage AI to produce news articles, but due to the nature of AI, the accuracy of such “news websites” cannot be relied upon. The sites found were written in seven languages and were either wholly or mostly AI generated.
These sites are designed to bring in advertising revenue to the site owners, and because AI can create content so quickly, sites are populated with tons of AI-generated articles in a short period of time, Each article contains a large number of advertisements.
The danger of newsbots
- misinformation: Scammers can intentionally flood newsbots with fake news to encourage the spread of misinformation.
- lack of fact-checking: Newsbots prioritize quantity over quality, so content is not checked for accuracy before upload.
- the truth is hard to find: The potential plethora of AI-generated news websites can drown out legitimate news sources.
- language and culture issues: Newsbots that offer support for multiple languages can have translation issues, which can lead to further misinformation and cultural numbness.
To ensure that the information you read online is accurate, use only legitimate news sources.
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How to check if a website is legit
- contact address: Find physical addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses on websites. If contact information is not listed, be careful.
- reputation: Search online to see what other people are saying about the website and use ScamAdviser to find out if the website is legit.
- professional design: Trustworthy websites often have a sleek and professional design. Look for well-structured layouts, consistent branding, and high-quality images.
- privacy policy: Legitimate websites usually have privacy policies that explain how they handle user data, so check them out and read them right away.
How to avoid scam sites for free
In fact, AI-generated potentially inaccurate news sites aren’t the only things to worry about. There are many fraudulent sites on the Internet, and common sense alone is becoming more difficult to detect. Check out Trend Micro Check for the easiest and most reliable way to detect and avoid fraudulent sites.
Trend Micro Check — Ourcompletely free Browser extensions and mobile apps — Protect against fraud, fake or malware-infected websites, dangerous emails, phishing links, and more. If you come across something dangerous online, you’ll be alerted in real time so you can pay close attention.
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