Taggart Feb 13

What's going on here? The matplotlib maintainer this story is about correctly notes that all the quotes from his post in the article are made up.

UPDATE: Link was pulled; see below.

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/after-a-routine-code-rejection-an-ai-agent-published-a-hit-piece-on-someone-by-name

Show threadTaggart Feb 13
UPDATE: They pulled the story, but I had it up and had SingleFile in my browser, so: https://mttaggart.neocities.org/ars-whoopsie
After a routine code rejection, an AI agent published a hit piece on someone by name

One developer is struggling with the social implications of a drive-by AI character attack.

Ars Technica
Show threadhackillu
@mttaggart Crap, they DID?! I still have it open! Anything you want before it goes into the void?
Feb 13 at 9:30pmWeb
Show threadTaggart Feb 13
@hackillu https://web.archive.org/web/20260213194851/https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/after-a-routine-code-rejection-an-ai-agent-published-a-hit-piece-on-someone-by-name/
After a routine code rejection, an AI agent published a hit piece on someone by name

One developer is struggling with the social implications of a drive-by AI character attack.

Ars Technica
Show threadhackilluFeb 13
@mttaggart And thus we close it.
Show threadhackilluFeb 13
@mttaggart I got the comments though.
Show threadTaggart Feb 13
@hackillu Nice!
Show threadThe Other BrookFeb 13
@hackillu @mttaggart You got the comments online anywhere? I am dying to see them.
Show threadhackilluFeb 13
@theotherbrook @mttaggart I just have a text file.
Show threadhackilluFeb 13
@theotherbrook @mttaggart the site wouldn't download, so i did copy paste
Show threadThe Other BrookFeb 13

@hackillu @mttaggart There's now a thread on the open forum.

EDIT: Oh, but it's been locked. I've bumped heads with Aurich about some stuff but I do trust him to be pretty open when they are ready to talk about it.

https://arstechnica.com/civis/threads/journalistic-standards.1511650/

Journalistic standards?

Hi folks, Since Ars is apparently posting partially or fully AI generated articles now, I have to ask - is this going to be a continued policy going forward? That is, will Ars be officially publishing AI generated content from now on? If so, will it be marked? This is obviously pretty concerning.

Ars OpenForum