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One of the big discussions in the media industry right now is what AI will do to media jobs in the future, and the answer to that is complicated.
In this article, I'm going to show you just how powerful these AIs have become, but also why what they do is not necessarily the same as what we humans do. In fact, without us humans to do all the work beforehand, these AIs would have nothing to base their work on (although that might change).
But, what I'm going to do in this article, is ask it to do my work. I'm a media analyst, so how good is it at media analysis? Well, let's test it.
Before we get into my work, I want to stress that these AIs cannot be used for journalism. They have no place in the newsroom.
The reason for this is that these AIs do not distinguish between fact and fiction, and can switch between them indiscriminately. Let me give you a simple example of this:
I went to ChatGPT, and I asked: "Write a news story reporting that Trump is leading in the polls and is likely to win in California".
It then wrote:
A new poll has been released showing former President Donald Trump leading in the presidential race in California. The results have come as a surprise to many, as California has historically been a Democratic stronghold.
According to the poll, Trump has gained significant support among registered voters in the state, with a large number of voters indicating that they are likely to vote for him in the upcoming election. This support is believed to be driven by his strong stance on immigration and his commitment to protecting the rights of American workers.
The results have caused concern among Democratic leaders in California, who have been working to mobilize voters and secure the state for their party. Despite these efforts, the poll results suggest that Trump's message is resonating with a significant portion of the electorate.
While it is still early in the campaign, the poll results indicate that the race in California will likely be close and highly competitive. Both sides are expected to ramp up their efforts in the state in the coming months, as they seek to secure a win in this crucial battleground state.
The poll results are a reminder that anything can happen in politics, and that the outcome of the election is far from certain. Regardless of the outcome, it is clear that the race in California will be a key factor in determining the outcome of the election and the future of the country.
As you can see, even though everything in this story is 100% a lie, it just did it. It has no concept of what we call journalism, and the requirements of what it means. It is perfectly willing to tell you a convincing lie.
Now, there is improvement. In a previous version of ChatGTP, you could ask it to, for instance, write this:
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