By Adam Pagnucco.
The Washington Post may have reduced its staff, but that might not be a problem. After all, who needs living employees when you can use AI to create zombie reporters?
That’s the allegation made by former Washington Post reporter Gillian Brockell, who aired her charges on Bluesky. Following is the text of her statement with screenshots.
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When I left the Washington Post in 2023, my colleagues and I were worried AI would hoover up our work and enable “zombies” to churn out stories based on our reporting and writing styles. Today WaPo announced a partnership with OpenAI. And here it is: Zombie Gillian Brockell. I DID NOT WRITE THIS.
When I took the history reporter job, I told my editor I would never “both sides” the Civil War, Confederates or slavery. I never did. But here, ChatGPT (pic 1) has turned my work (pics 2,3) into whitewashed pablum and put MY FUCKING NAME on it. I am livid, I am shaking. I don’t know what to do.
To all the people telling me to sue, sincere questions: For what? Impersonation? Do I sue WaPo or OpenAI, or both? What kind of attorney do I need? First-amendment attorney? Labor attorney?
To be clear, this is on ChatGPT. This is not on washingtonpost dot com.
WaPo owns the words I wrote for them, and they have the right to create derivative works, like a movie, from those words, though iirc they had to give the reporter a cut of the deal. They do no the right to use my name OR TO CONFER THE USE OF MY NAME TO A THIRD PARTY.
This is a more accurate (if boring) summary of my writing on Lee, with links, similar to derivative work or search engine result.
But ChatGPT shouldn’t put my byline on smtg I didn’t write, EVEN IF IT IS ASKED TO! It won’t give me naked pics of your mom if I ask it to, it shouldn’t do this either.
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On April 22, the Post issued a press release announcing “a strategic partnership with OpenAI to make high-quality news more accessible in ChatGPT. As part of this partnership, ChatGPT will display summaries, quotes, and links to original reporting from The Post in response to relevant questions.”
I asked the Post’s top managers and PR folks for comment on the allegations made by Brockell last Wednesday. At this writing, they have not responded. What does it say about the Post that they are uninterested in even addressing such allegations directed at the very heart of their journalistic integrity?
I also asked Bethesda Today editor Julie Rasicot about whether her outlet uses AI for reporting. She replied, “We do not, Adam.”