Artificial Intelligence can now deliver an image on a prompt that includes not just subject matter but also a particular artist’s style. A prompt to get a result like this might be: Kite flying in blue sky, style of Edward Hopper.
The A.I. technology can do the same for writing, imitating with varied success the styles of anyone from J.K. Rowling to Shakespeare. Or, as is the case below, the world’s most famous investigative journalist, Bob Woodward. We asked A.I. this morning to report the Fox News Dominion lawsuit settlement story in the style of Woodward. Here is the result:
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The news landed like a bombshell: Fox News, the conservative-leaning cable news channel, had agreed to pay an eye-watering $787.5 million to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems. The suit, which accused Fox News of spreading false and defamatory claims about Dominion’s role in the 2020 presidential election, was the largest ever paid by a media company in a defamation case.
The settlement was a major coup for Dominion, which had been fighting to clear its name after being targeted by baseless conspiracy theories about the election. But it was also a blow to Fox News, which had long been a favorite of former President Donald Trump and his supporters. Trump and his allies had repeatedly made false claims about Dominion, alleging that the company rigged the election in favor of President Joe Biden.
The timing of the settlement was particularly noteworthy. It came just days before the trial was scheduled to begin, and left many wondering why Fox News had agreed to settle for such a large sum. Some speculated that the network was concerned about the potential damage that could have been done to its reputation if the case went to trial.
Whatever the reason, the settlement was a reminder that the First Amendment does not protect those who spread lies and misinformation. It was also a sign of the growing legal risks facing those who engage in such behavior. In recent months, several other defendants had been hit with defamation lawsuits, including former Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.
But the settlement raised a number of questions as well. What did the settlement mean for the future of Fox News? Would it deter other media companies from spreading false and defamatory information? And why did Fox News agree to settle for such a large sum?
As the dust settled, these questions remained unanswered. But one thing was clear: the Fox-Dominion settlement was a major turning point in the fight against misinformation, and a reminder that those who engage in such behavior do so at their own peril.
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The A.I. “Bob Woodward” ignores the more recent rift between Fox and Mr. Trump, as the real Woodward would presumably never do, though the story is correct in reporting that Fox has “long been a favorite of Mr. Trump.” The relationship between Trump and Fox has deteriorated since the election night that triggered the Dominion lawsuit, when Fox called Arizona for Biden early — but Trump and Fox, despite mutually disparaging comments, have not been completely estranged.
The real Bob Woodward recently retweeted this about his work on Trump.
“The most memorable contribution to this year’s American political literature, however, was not a printed book. The Trump Tapes, subtitled “Bob Woodward’s Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump” …offers a passport to the heart of darkness” https://t.co/bmSlGIyXmo
— Bob Woodward (@realBobWoodward) December 11, 2022
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