Major outlets—including Wired and Business Insider—have pulled multiple articles after uncovering that they were written by an AI-generated "freelancer" named Margaux Blanchard.
Wired removed a feature titled “They Fell in Love Playing Minecraft. Then the Game Became Their Wedding Venue,” citing that it failed to meet editorial standards due to inadequate fact-checking. Business Insider similarly retracted two personal essays by Blanchard, and both outlets have since reinforced their author verification protocols.
The deception unraveled when a pitch from Blanchard regarding a mysterious Colorado town, “Gravemont,” raised red flags—she couldn’t provide verifiable documentation, and attempts to confirm her identity fell short. Further investigation showed that "Margaux Blanchard" appears to be a fabricated persona.
This scandal follows recent AI-related missteps across media—for example, the Chicago Sun-Times published a summer reading list containing entirely made-up book titles attributed to real authors. That supplement was later removed, and the syndicator banned AI-generated content.
These incidents spotlight a growing problem: generative AI is increasingly slipping into professional publications, often disguised under false identities or without proper checks. The fallout underscores a critical need for tighter fact-checking, stronger freelancer vetting, and editorial vigilance—even as newsrooms adopt more AI tools.