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Gannett to Close Product Review Site in Middle of AI Debate

On November 1st, the well-known media corporation Gannett is closing Reviewed, its product review website. Following internal and outside investigation on the veracity of its product reviews—which vary from shoes to household appliances—this choice results from Renowned for using reporters to test and evaluate different products, the website has come under accusations that some of its evaluations were produced by artificial intelligence rather than humans.

“After much thought and assessment of our Reviewed company, we have decided to shut down the operations. We extend our sincere gratitude to our employees who have provided consumers with trusted product reviews,” said Reviewed spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón in an email statement to The Verge.

Claims of Content Created by Artificial Intelligence

Last October, the debate over Reviewed grew more heated as unionized employees openly claimed Gannett had published reviews created by artificial intelligence. These strange and stilted reviews aroused questions since they were written. Some people started to doubt the claimed writers of these pieces since further research found that they lacked visibility on professional sites such as LinkedIn.

Reiterating similar accusations, Gannett said AdVon Commerce, a third-party marketing firm, created the dubious evaluations. Gannett maintained that no artificial intelligence was used and admitted that the original reviews lacked appropriate disclosure on their sources.
Links to Comparable Sporting Events at Sports Illustrated

AdVon Commerce has been in the news before this as well. Similar problems surfaced at Sports Illustrated, where published product reviews exhibiting same dubious qualities. In such example, AI-generated picture websites revealed certain author headshots used in the publications. Sports Illustrated said AdVon told them the material was written by actual people, even though the names were not real.
The Function of AdVon Commerce

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The Verge’s closer look at AdVon Commerce’s activities exposed the company’s heavy usage of marketing content, some of which former staff members claim was created using artificial intelligence. Often applying sophisticated marketing techniques, Ben Faw, AdVon’s CEO and co-founder, has used his media contacts to land contracts with news sources. Content from AdVon has show up on other outlets, including the Los Angeles Times and Us Weekly. Responding to these claims, Faw said AdVon offers “human-only, AI-enhanced, and hybrid solutions,” and generates affiliate income to fund newsroom operations and pay.
The shifting terrain of product reviews

Although Antón did not offer particular justification for closing Reviewed, publishers have always found great profit in product reviews. Readers looking for purchase guidance drawn from these reviews create affiliate income when they make decisions based on the content. The scene for material on product reviews is changing, though. Other big news outlets have also entered this area, including The Associated Press. However, many independent review websites note declining search traffic, which is further challenged by Google’s move to AI-powered search capabilities, therefore perhaps compromising income sources.
The Whole View

Gannett’s choice to close Reviewed draws attention to more general issues affecting digital media. Maintaining credibility and openness becomes ever more important as artificial intelligence keeps playing a bigger part in content production. The closing of Reviewed might act as a warning story for other publishers negotiating the fine line between authenticity and invention in the era of artificial intelligence.

For more details, the original article can be found on The Verge.