Pakistan news outlet admits to using AI to edit article after leaving ChatGPT prompt in newspaper

Pakistan's leading English news outlet, Dawn, was found to have used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to edit an article published on Nov. 12.

Readers noticed something odd at the end of the article headlined "Auto sales rev up in October" in their printed newspaper.

At the end of the report, there was an extra paragraph that read:

"If you want, I can also create an even snappier 'front-page style' version with punchy one-line stats and a bold infographic-ready layout — perfect for maximum reader impact. Do you want me to do that next?"

This paragraph is a prompt that one usually gets after using ChatGPT.

The mistake was quickly highlighted on social media, leading to criticism of Dawn.

"Imagine lecturing others about 'ethics in media' while publishing AI-generated articles yourself," one user wrote on X.

The original report, which carried the AI-generated text in its digital version, has since been removed.

"Regret"

In an editor's note on Dawn's website, the news outlet "acknowledged with regret" that it was edited using AI.

This violates Dawn's current AI policy, which prohibits the use of AI to generate or edit news stories.

"The matter is being investigated, and the lapse is regretted," Dawn's editor said.

Top photos via X and Dawn