The Los Angeles Times’ Descent: A Billionaire’s Wrecking Ball and AI as a Dubious Savior
The Los Angeles Times, a venerable institution with a history spanning nearly 150 years, is currently enduring a period of profound instability under the ownership of billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong. What was once a respected voice in American journalism is now grappling with declining morale, editorial interference, and a controversial embrace of artificial intelligence, all of which threaten to further erode the newspaper’s standing and trustworthiness.
Soon-Shiong’s tenure has been marked by repeated rounds of layoffs, decimating the newsroom and leaving remaining staff members feeling demoralized and overburdened. This cost-cutting strategy, coupled with the owner’s alleged editorial interference, has fostered a climate of distrust and uncertainty. Critics argue that Soon-Shiong, a known supporter of former President Donald Trump, is using his position to subtly influence the newspaper’s coverage and push a particular political agenda.
The latest development in this troubling saga is Soon-Shiong’s decision to implement AI-powered tools aimed at improving trust and, ultimately, the financial fortunes of the Los Angeles Times. This initiative includes an AI-powered bias meter that will label opinion articles based on an algorithm’s perceived interpretation of their political leanings. These labels, ranging from "Left" to "Right," will be determined by Particle.News, a startup founded by former Twitter engineers.
Furthermore, a section called "Viewspoints," powered by AI startup Perplexity, will be introduced to display alternative viewpoints to those presented in an article. This feature will not be limited to opinion pieces but will extend to any "articles that offer a point of view on an issue," according to a statement obtained by The Guardian. To distinguish opinion-oriented articles from straight news reports, a new "Voices" label will be implemented. Standard news articles will be exempt from these AI features.
The decision to integrate AI into the Los Angeles Times’ editorial process has been met with widespread skepticism and concern. Critics argue that relying on algorithms to determine bias and generate alternative viewpoints is a flawed and potentially dangerous approach. AI models are known to be susceptible to biases, inaccuracies, and even the fabrication of information. The prospect of these AI-generated viewpoints appearing on the Los Angeles Times’ website without editorial oversight raises serious questions about the accuracy and credibility of the information presented.
The irony of Soon-Shiong’s claim to be improving trust in the media is not lost on observers. He recently faced criticism for allegedly interfering with an opinion piece and altering it to portray Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a more favorable light. Similarly, multiple staffers reportedly resigned after Soon-Shiong intervened in an article concerning one of his friends who was involved in a dog attack incident. These instances of alleged editorial meddling undermine the owner’s stated goal of enhancing trust and raise concerns about the integrity of the Los Angeles Times’ reporting.
The Los Angeles Times’ editorial union, while not inherently opposed to presenting alternative opinions, firmly believes that AI is not the appropriate tool for this purpose. The union argues that the resources allocated to AI implementation would be better directed towards supporting the newspaper’s journalists, who have not received a cost-of-living increase since 2021. Matt Hamilton, vice president of the LATimes Guild, emphasized this point, highlighting the need to prioritize human expertise and journalistic integrity over unproven AI solutions.
The rise of AI-generated content across the internet presents a broader challenge to the credibility of information and the integrity of journalism. The prospect of AI-created, pseudo-academic writing filled with fabricated facts and quotes becoming the training data for future AI models is deeply concerning. This cycle of misinformation could further erode public trust in the media and make it increasingly difficult to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources.
The involvement of Perplexity, an AI startup that has demonstrated a disregard for the journalism industry, adds another layer of complexity to the situation. Perplexity has been accused of scraping articles and regurgitating them in its chatbot without proper attribution, claiming fair use. Furthermore, during a strike by New York Times staffers last year, Perplexity’s CEO offered AI tools that he suggested could replace human journalists, signaling a clear lack of respect for the profession.
Given Soon-Shiong’s history of cost-cutting and his apparent willingness to embrace AI solutions, it would not be surprising to see the Los Angeles Times expand its use of AI to write entire articles. This would further diminish the role of human journalists and potentially compromise the quality and accuracy of the newspaper’s reporting.
The Los Angeles Times is not alone in its experimentations with AI. The Washington Post has implemented AI-powered summaries at the top of articles. However, The Washington Post is also experiencing its own turmoil under the ownership of Jeff Bezos, who has shifted from a hands-off approach to exerting more control and pushing for a pro-capitalism, "free markets" editorial slant. The Post has suffered significant subscriber losses since Bezos blocked the newspaper from endorsing Kamala Harris and subsequently implemented changes to the opinion section.
The experiences of both the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post serve as a cautionary tale about the potential pitfalls of news organizations being owned by billionaires with conflicting interests. What was once perceived as a benevolent act of saving legacy media from decline has morphed into a situation where owners prioritize their own agendas over the interests of the newspapers and the public good. In the current political climate, pleasing figures like former President Trump, to safeguard business interests is a significant factor influencing the decision making.
The Los Angeles Times’ embrace of AI and the challenges it faces under Soon-Shiong’s ownership raise fundamental questions about the future of journalism. Can AI truly enhance trust and improve the quality of news, or will it further erode public confidence and accelerate the decline of legacy media? The answer to this question remains uncertain, but the trajectory of the Los Angeles Times serves as a stark reminder of the importance of journalistic independence, editorial integrity, and the unwavering commitment to factual reporting. The road ahead appears fraught with peril, and the fate of this once-great institution hangs in the balance.
