Editor's Note: Retraction of article containing fabricated quotations

"On Friday afternoon, Ars Technica published an article containing fabricated quotations generated by an AI tool and attributed to a source who did not say them. That is a serious failure of our standards. Direct quotations must always reflect what a source actually said. That this happened at Ars is especially distressing. We have covered the risks of overreliance on AI tools for years, and our written policy reflects those concerns."

"In this case, fabricated quotations were published in a manner inconsistent with that policy. We have reviewed recent work and have not identified additional issues. At this time, this appears to be an isolated incident. Ars Technica does not permit the publication of AI-generated material unless it is clearly labeled and presented for demonstration purposes. That rule is not optional, and it was not followed here."

Ars Technica published fabricated quotations generated by an AI tool and attributed them to a source who did not say those words. The publication violated established standards requiring direct quotations to reflect what a source actually said. The incident conflicted with the outlet's policy that forbids unlabeled AI-generated material except for clearly marked demonstrations. A review of recent work identified no additional issues, and the organization characterized the episode as an isolated incident. The organization expressed regret, apologized to readers, and apologized to Mr. Scott Shambaugh, who was falsely quoted. The event highlights the persistent risks of overreliance on AI tools despite existing policies.

Read at Ars Technica