Meta Faces Backlash Over AI Summarizing News That Will Not Direct Links to Sources

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In this illustration photo taken in Los Angeles on October 28, 2021, a person watches on a smartphone Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveil the META logo. - Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday announced the parent company's name is being changed to "Meta" to represent a future beyond just its troubled social network. The new handle comes as the social media giant tries to fend off one its worst crises yet and pivot to its ambitions for the "metaverse" virtual reality version of the internet that the tech giant sees as the future. CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images

After gradually stepping away from news content on its platforms, Meta is now using this said content for its new AI chatbot, Meta AI.

The chatbot scans and summarizes news stories, offering users top headlines and in-depth summaries without requiring them to leave the app. This includes regions like Canada, where Meta banned news links on Facebook and Instagram to avoid paying publishers under a new law.

Meta AI's approach provides users with "CliffsNotes" versions of news articles, often paraphrasing or directly copying sentences from the original pieces without clear attribution. Links to the full articles and their sources are available but typically require additional clicks.

Concerns About Meta AI News Summarizer

Now, there were concerns about Meta AI's News Summarizer.

According to the Washington Post, there are copyright and fair use concerns as Meta AI summarizes and paraphrases news content without explicit attribution, potentially undermining news organizations' revenue models. This practice raises ethical questions regarding exploiting journalistic work without proper compensation or recognition.

Besides that, the impact on news traffic is considered, as direct summaries within Meta's platforms could further lessen visits to original news sites, impacting their financial stability.

More than that, the accuracy and attribution of Meta AI's summaries are questioned, as the AI often fails to provide clear sources or misleads users about the origin of information, potentially contributing to misinformation.

That being said, it is anticipated that legal challenges, including ongoing lawsuits from news organizations, will further lead to regulatory restrictions on Meta AI's operations.

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Meta, AI

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