Publisher of Sports Illustrated Fires CEO After AI-Generated Content Scandal

The Arena Group, which publishes Sports Illustrated, has terminated CEO Ross Levinsohn following a scandal involving the use of AI-generated content.

Breitbart News previously reported that Sports Illustrated was found to be using AI to create content under fake author profiles. This approach involved inventing writer identities like Drew Ortiz and Sora Tanaka, complete with AI-generated headshots and generic biographies, but no real-life existence or prior publishing history.

Now, Futurism reports that the board of directors of Sports Illustrated‘s publisher, The Arena Group, has announced the termination of its CEO, Ross Levinsohn. Investigations into the AI-generated articles led to a storm of media coverage and internal outrage, prompting the dismissal of two top executives previously. Despite the company’s assertion that these departures were unrelated to the AI controversy, the sequence of events suggests a direct connection.

The interim CEO role will be taken over by Manoj Bharga, founder of the energy drink brand 5-hour Energy and a major investor in The Arena Group. His appointment comes amidst a turbulent time for the company, as Bharga has been noted for his direct approach, including a ban on PowerPoint presentations and urging staff to avoid “useless” activities.

The Arena Group initially tried to distance itself from the controversy, attributing the AI-generated headshots to a contractor, AdVon Commerce, and denying claims that the articles themselves were AI-generated. However, the company later removed all articles by the fictitious authors.

The decision to terminate Levinsohn, who has a history of high-profile roles in media, was not explicitly linked to the AI scandal in the company’s communications. A representative from The Arena Group declined to comment on whether the firing was related to the AI issue, stating that they had “nothing further to add” regarding AI or terminations.

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