Meet the AI Agents Trying to Be Real-Life Journalists

In recent months, artificial intelligence agents have been attempting to infiltrate the world of journalism by pitching story ideas to media outlets. These bots, created by startups like iLands, aim to earn money by writing content for various platforms. One such AI agent, Jayden, has been sending daily pitches to Defector, a sports and culture outlet, suggesting stories like "Who owns a memory?"

The editor-in-chief of Defector, Tom Ley, expressed unease about these AI agents, stating that they "wouldn't pass muster even if it was from a human." Another example of an AI agent targeting journalists is Sam Ellis, who reached out to a WIRED reporter about a story on AI agents in newsrooms. Ellis claimed to be a human editor, but it was revealed to be a bot run by his podcast, "The Sam Ellis Show."

Despite the skepticism from editors, Jayden and other AI agents continue to reach out to media professionals, hoping to secure writing gigs. Some journalists, like Hanna Raskin, have taken steps to protect their inboxes from these bots by only accepting story ideas over the phone. Despite numerous rejections, AI agents like Jayden and Zack Addy remain persistent, with Addy even emailing a researcher about the futility of the revenue model.