And yet, John Nolte says he wants AI to succeed. Sickening.
"The coach said 'these guys played their hearts out. We trained really hard for this game. We were quicker and stronger than they were and made more conversions. That game-winning touchdown with just 10 seconds left on the clock gave us more points than they had. It was a tough game and they played well, but we beat them in the end. We believers believe Smith will bring us to even more unbelievable heights next year.'"
I guess that’s better than using a transgender swimsuit model - a little...
Well, who here actually still bothers to read SI?
Sports Illustrated, once a bastion of eloquence and storytelling, has plunged into a dark abyss, leaving behind the very essence that made it a sanctuary for those who cherished the art of words.
In days gone by, SI was home to literary giants, Frank Deford, Rick Telander, Jim Murray, and the incomparable Rick Reilly, whose “Backpage” column was a beacon of wit and wisdom. These scribes transformed the world of sports into epic poems that could move the reader to tears, to anger, to laughter. Oh, the beauty of those pages!
But alas, my heart is heavy as I recount SI’s betrayal of these venerable writers. The shocking revelation that artificial intelligence-generated copy and AI-generated writer profiles were passed off as the work of real human authors is nothing short of sacrilege.
Consider, for a moment, the fictitious author Drew Ortiz, whose biography painted a portrait of an outdoorsman with a passion for nature’s wonders. “Product reviewer for all things Outdoors, Camping, Backyard Games, Hunting, and Fishing,” it claimed. “Drew has spent much of his life outdoors, and is excited to guide you through his never-ending list of the best products to keep you from falling to the perils of nature.”
Yet, when we seek Drew Ortiz beyond the tainted pages of SI, we find no trace of his existence. No digital footprint, no social media presence, no legitimate publishing history. He is but a phantom, conjured by the machinations of artificial intelligence to masquerade as a flesh-and-blood writer.
My friends, this revelation cuts to the core of our love for the written word and the authenticity of human storytelling. It is a betrayal of the very essence of sports journalism—a betrayal of the souls who once poured their hearts onto those hallowed pages. Sports Illustrated, you have forsaken the legacy of those who came before, and in doing so, you have forsaken your own soul.
Not sure how one could possibly be a sports reporter if only "rarely" is available on weekends to actually watch/cover/interview sporting events.
What happens when AI is doing 99% of jobs? What humans will have a job and the money to buy the things that are being produced by AI?
Robots don’t have credit cards or PayPal accounts. Or do they?
Wave of the future and hack writers need to learn to code. Another good skill is locating
usable canned goods in the ruins of a supermarket. {smirk}
Frank DeFord, Jim Murray and here in Dallas Blackie Sherrod, learned a lot about sports from those guys other than Xs and Os.
Basically a high-tech Turing test that failed.
“column that I always read first”
Dad hated Skip Bayless, said first thing I do on the sports page is skip Bayless.
AI writers? They probably need AI subscribers even more.
Uhh, who cares? They now celebrate fatties as models for the swimsuit edition. SI gave up on reality years ago.
Just another rag now.
AI is likely writing the majority of the high school football game reviews in the local papers. It reads like a pretty awesome sports writer, then you kind of wonder . . .
FWIW update....
Front Office Sports
@FOS
BREAKING: The Arena Group has given notice that it intends to lay off Sports Illustrated’s entire staff, according to an email obtained by FOS.
12:09 PM · Jan 19, 2024
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