AI-enhanced edition backfires: Pakistani newspaper 'Dawn' faces backlash

Islamabad (The Uttam Hindu): "Dawn," one of Pakistan's oldest and most prestigious newspapers, is currently facing intense social media criticism over its use of artificial intelligence (AI). The newspaper made a significant mistake that has raised serious questions about its professionalism. In a story published on its business page, "Dawn" printed the exact prompts provided by ChatGPT.

The major error occurred on the November 12th issue. The newspaper published an article titled "Auto Sales Increase in October." The article was apparently generated by an AI tool like ChatGPT, but due to negligence, the newspaper staff published the AI's suggestions along with the article.

The viral newspaper clipping clearly shows an AI prompt at the end of the article. It reads, "If you'd like, I can create a front-page-style article for you. I can provide some statistics and create an infographic layout. This will be more appealing to readers. Would you like me to make some other changes?"

As soon as the prompt was published in the newspaper, a clipping of it went viral on social media. Users in Pakistan began questioning the quality of Dawn's journalism.

One X user wrote, "I was reading the November 12th issue when I came across this article and found a ChatGPT prompt at the bottom. It's clear the entire article was created by AI. What has happened to a newspaper like Dawn?"

Another user sarcastically wrote, "These people preach to the world about media ethics and yet they themselves publish articles generated by AI. The mask has slipped from the Don's face."

Dawn was launched in Delhi in 1941, before Partition. After Pakistan's formation, it began publishing in major cities and is considered a serious and credible newspaper in Pakistan.