Australian Community Media has decided not to take action against its lawyer, James Raptis, for his association with AI-powered sites replicating news content sourced from legitimate outlets.
Australian Community Media’s Response to AI-Generated News Sites
Amanda Meade
15 May 2024
Australian Community Media (ACM), a prominent regional publisher, has decided not to take action against its in-house lawyer, James Raptis, over his involvement with websites that republished news articles using AI. The sites in question, League Initiative, F1 Initiative, Surf Initiative, and AliaVera, featured modified articles initially sourced from legitimate news outlets.
Media Watch, a program by ABC, uncovered these websites and highlighted that some articles bore Raptis’s byline. Raptis clarified to the ABC and Guardian Australia that he had hosted and set up the websites but denied any involvement in content creation, stating that another individual operated them without his oversight.
Following Media Watch’s inquiry, the websites were taken down, and Raptis’s social media presence was made private. ACM, owned by Antony Catalano, issued a statement disapproving the use of AI for content reproduction from news sites but refrained from commenting further on Raptis’s involvement, citing their policy of not discussing employee matters publicly.
Management has reportedly accepted Raptis’s explanation of his limited involvement. Barry, another source, suggested that Raptis identify the true owner and operator of the websites for public transparency. Alexandra Wake of RMIT University warned of the ethical implications and potential threats AI poses to journalism, stressing the importance of human oversight in news publication.
