AI failures · Fabricated content
Gizmodo (io9) — AI-Generated Star Wars Article Published With Factual Errors Over Editors' Objections
Verified Checked against its sources on 2 sources quoted
- Where it happened
- United States
- Organization
- G/O Media (Gizmodo, io9)
- Date
- July 5, 2023
- Function
- Journalism
- Where it happened
- Article writing and publication without editorial review
- System
- AI writing tool credited as 'Gizmodo Bot' (vendor not stated)
- Technology
- Generative AI
- Type of failure
- Fabricated content
- Caught by
- Internal review, The public
Summary
G/O Media published an AI-generated article, 'A Chronological List of Star Wars Movies & TV Shows', on Gizmodo's io9 section under the byline 'Gizmodo Bot'. The list contained basic errors, such as placing The Clone Wars after The Rise of Skywalker. io9's deputy editor said he was told about ten minutes before publication and that no one at io9 edited it; he sent management a formal complaint. The GMG Union, which had written to management opposing the AI test beforehand, said management ignored its letter.
Who caught it Internal review, The public
Analysis
What could have been done
A review that can actually catch the error
The reviewer has the time, information and expertise to catch the error, not only to sign off.
The section's deputy editor was told about ten minutes before publication and no one at io9 edited the article, so the people able to spot errors such as The Clone Wars placed after The Rise of Skywalker had little time to review it.
The system is tested for accuracy, bias and failure modes on representative cases before use.
Management's announced "modest test" of AI-generated content was run by publishing on the live site, over a written objection the union had sent before the first AI article appeared.
What would likely have prevented it
- Route every AI-generated article to the section's editors with enough lead time to edit it, and do not publish without a named editor's sign-off.
- Trial AI-generated content outside the published site and measure its error rate before any piece goes live.
What would likely have caught it earlier
- Have a subject editor check factual sequences, dates and names in AI-generated pieces against an authoritative reference before release.
Key dates
- July 5, 2023Event
- October 16, 2026Checked against sources
- October 18, 2026Checked against sources
- October 21, 2026Checked against sources
Developments are added when the record is reviewed. Next review: October 16, 2027.
Evidence
Each passage is quoted from its source. The quoted passages are re-checked against the live pages every month.
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published an error-riddled article written by "Gizmodo Bot" which deputy editor James Whitbrook said on Wednesday was foisted on the site's editorial team with little notice.
Supports: AI article with errors, 'Gizmodo Bot' byline, editorial staff not involved; dated July 5, 2023
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Before the first AI copy was published, the union sent a letter to management criticizing the announced "modest test" of AI-generated content. But management "ignored our letter and proceeded with publishing AI-generated content on our sites," the union writes.
Supports: Union letter before publication and statement afterwards
Suggested citation. Eminence Scan, “Gizmodo (io9) — AI-Generated Star Wars Article Published With Factual Errors Over Editors' Objections”, Eminence Growth Solutions, last verified October 16, 2026, https://eminencegrowthsolutions.com/tools/eminence-scan/record/fail-041/.
Using our research: you may read and quote Eminence Scan with credit to “Eminence Scan, Eminence Growth Solutions” and a link; all other rights reserved. Terms: Using our research.
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