AI-generated content in US mainstream media's opinion pieces is significantly more prevalent than in news articles

Recently, a "Modern Love" column in The New York Times sparked controversy when the author admitted using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for inspiration, revision, and polishing during writing. This incident prompted researchers to investigate the penetration of AI-generated content in US news.

Studies show that about 9% of newly published articles contain AI-generated content (mostly in local media); the probability of AI-generated content in opinion pieces of authoritative media like The New York Times and The Washington Post is more than six times higher than in news articles.

Media collaboration with AI companies is growing (e.g., The Washington Post uses AI to generate podcast summaries), but risks are evident—last month, an Ars Technica reporter was fired for misusing AI-generated fake quotes.