Observed Signal · May 8, 2023 · Policy Update · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
AI-Generated Fake News by Newsbots
NewsGuard identified 49 websites that are almost entirely AI-written, with some sites publishing up to 100 articles per day and often lacking clear sources. CelebrityDeaths.com is cited as an example publishing false information, such as a Biden death claim. The sites are described as ad-heavy and prone to misinformation, spreading AI-generated content across seven languages (Chinese, Czech, English, French, Portuguese, Tagalog, Thai). The article warns of a potential feedback loop where AI-generated content fuels further AI outputs, and cites Futurism on the dangers of AI-chatbot-based misinformation. It also notes that the US government has sought discussions with CEOs of four large AI companies to outline planned guidelines. The piece emphasizes risks to media credibility, consumer trust, and advertiser safety from AI-generated publisher content.
Highlights risks of AI-generated misinformation and advertiser safety implications for the ad-tech ecosystem.
Track NewsGuard Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- NewsGuard identified 49 websites almost fully written by AI.
- CelebrityDeaths.com is highlighted as publishing AI-generated fake news about Biden’s death.
- Sites publish up to 100 AI-generated articles per day and often do not clearly cite sources.
- NewsGuard notes multilingual reach across seven languages.
- The US government sought discussions with CEOs of four large AI companies on planned guidelines.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mappedOntology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
We-news.com: AI Fakes Become an Advertising Problem
A recent report examines We-news.com, a newly launched news portal that appears to produce large volumes of AI-generated articles and images. Published by AZ Medias Limited (Hong Kong), the site uses purported regional correspondents (e.g., “Seraina Cadonau”, “Corinne Gerber”) who likely do not exist and AI image generation to illustrate stories — producing inaccurate or fabricated visuals (an illustrated Rosegtal carriage accident is cited). Investigative reporting (Infosperber) found the site sourcing from Swiss publishers (SRF, Watson, Nau). Industry bodies including IAB Switzerland and Digital Ad Trust warn this ‘Made for Advertising’ content creates brand-safety and wasted-ad-spend risks; MFA sites already claim a notable share of Swiss programmatic budgets. IAB/DAT recommend supply-path optimisation, independent verification and curated inclusion lists (DAT Inclusion List, OneDSP) to mitigate exposure.
One in Three New Websites Are AI-Generated
A study by researchers in the US and UK finds that roughly 35% of newly created websites are AI-generated, just three years after ChatGPT's launch. The team analyzed web snapshots in collaboration with the Internet Archive and used the Pangram AI-detection tool to classify content. The researchers report that AI-written pages tend to be steriler and more positive in tone but did not find an increase in factual inaccuracies compared with pre-AI content. The article cites Netcraft data showing about 1.5 billion websites worldwide (March 2026) and Bitkom estimates of roughly 60 million new sites per year. The research team plans to continue monitoring trends and to build a continual data pipeline with the Internet Archive.
NewsGuard AI Launches in Germany, Austria, and More European Countries
NewsGuard has launched its AI service, NewsGuard AI, in Germany, Austria, France, Italy, the UK, and other European countries. The AI tool answers questions on current news topics using only approximately 12,000 news sources that NewsGuard has vetted for credibility and transparency. When journalistic content is used in responses, NewsGuard AI cites and links to the original articles, and the media outlets receive compensation. The service is subscription-based, with a free tier of ten queries per day and a premium subscription at eight euros per month after a two-week free trial. NewsGuard has no plans to introduce advertising. Publishers can participate as co-marketing partners, offering the service to their readers at a discounted rate and receiving 50% of the subscription revenue generated through their channels. This creates a potential indirect advertising effect, as frequently cited sources might leverage the credibility label for brand safety.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.