Microsoft AI inserted a distasteful poll into a news report about a woman's death

[usonian]

Details here:
https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/31/23940298/ai-generated-poll-guardian-microsoft-start-news-aggregation
But the Guardian article is a bit more readable, IMO.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/oct/31/microsoft-accused-of-damaging-guardians-reputation-with-ai-generated-poll

The Guardian has accused Microsoft of damaging its journalistic reputation by publishing an AI-generated poll speculating on the cause of a woman’s death next to an article by the news publisher.

Microsoft’s news aggregation service published the automated poll next to a Guardian story about the death of Lilie James, a 21-year-old water polo coach who was found dead with serious head injuries at a school in Sydney last week.

The poll, created by an AI program, asked: “What do you think is the reason behind the woman’s death?” Readers were then asked to choose from three options: murder, accident or suicide.

Readers reacted angrily to the poll, which has subsequently been taken down – although highly critical reader comments on the deleted survey were still online as of Tuesday morning.

In my opinion, AI or any other doodad adopted without someone with even half a conscience checking it, is just techno-buffoonery. People make these decisions (including the decision not to decide) and with a “Who gives a shit, it’s new and shiny” attitude, the results are predictably bad.

Nobody seems to ask “What could possibly go wrong?” And that is the standard mockery of software. A bazillion things can go wrong with software, but NOBODY CARES, NOBODY CHECKS. Just rush it out the door and into production.

And have a great evening!