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Daniel Hurst

@danielhurst.bsky.social
2.1K followers 283 following 279 posts

Freelance writing / journalism. He / him. Ngunnawal / Ngambri Country. Ethical disclosure: I don't use AI for writing or research – any errors and views are entirely my own dominoesunderthemulberry.ghost.io

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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"It’s a testament to how defensive, if not cultish, that AI advocates have become that merely suggesting that large language models don’t think, let alone in the way humans do, is cause for indignation" futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com
AI Bros Are Having a Meltdown Because the Associated Press Stylebook Clarifies That AIs Don't Have Feelings
The Associated Press Stylebook posted a reminder not to anthropomorphize AIs because they can't think, trigger a meltdown among AI bros.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The Australian govt has begun docking the pay of an ICE-linked private prison operator, recouping millions of dollars for its poor performance managing a $2.3bn contract to run the country’s onshore immigration detention centres, reports @paulkarp.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2026/09...
politico.com
Australia eyes ripping up $2.3B immigration detention contract
ICE-linked contractor has been hit with millions in fines for its handling of immigration detention.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Soon: the inquiry into the inquiries
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Behind the story: A blog post showing my working on the FOI investigation into health regulator AHPRA's adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism after "heightened external pressure" dominoesunderthemulberry.ghost.io/behind-the-s...
dominoesunderthemulberry.ghost.io
Behind the story: Health body’s shift on antisemitism
Being accountable to my readers by showing you my working
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Behind the story: A blog post showing my working on the FOI investigation into health regulator AHPRA's adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism after "heightened external pressure" dominoesunderthemulberry.ghost.io/behind-the-s...
dominoesunderthemulberry.ghost.io
Behind the story: Health body’s shift on antisemitism
Being accountable to my readers by showing you my working
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Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The whole graf is hilarious The film (that I have not seen) “falls short on every dimension”
I haven't seen the film. This means I cannot confidently assess its editing, corroboration, or the full testimony it presents. I would love to live in a world in which I could wait, watch the movie, and have a sober debate about its claims.
Unfortunately, the discourse online is not so patient. That's why it's necessary to examine the argument its makers have published, the reporting on which it builds, and the standards by which its allegations should be judged. The film falls short on every dimension.
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Nick Evershed!? @nickevershed.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The dominance of AI is not inevitable. We can choose to change things for the better! In other words: you're right to push back www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The dominance of AI is not inevitable. We can choose to change things for the better | Nick Evershed
Countries have come together before to make international agreements in the face of existential threats
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Deepcut News @deepcutnews.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
EXCLUSIVE: AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner told colleagues in February there was “heightened external pressure ... to adopt the IHRA definition". Internal documents obtained by Deepcut show how the regulator initially resisted adopting the IHRA definition. www.deepcutnews.com/p/exclusive-...
deepcutnews.com
Exclusive: AHPRA chief reveals ‘heightened external pressure’ over antisemitism definition
A trove of internal documents obtained by Deepcut shows how Australia’s regulator of health workers initially resisted adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism, but later changed course
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
A new trove of internal docs shows health regulator CEO described "heightened external pressure" to adopt a contentious definition of antisemitism. Board members raised private concerns over the definition. My latest freelance piece for @deepcutnews.bsky.social www.deepcutnews.com/p/exclusive-...
deepcutnews.com
Exclusive: AHPRA chief reveals ‘heightened external pressure’ over antisemitism definition
A trove of internal documents obtained by Deepcut shows how Australia’s regulator of health workers initially resisted adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism, but later changed course
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
*make
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This is NOT a comment on this particular legal case but once again: AI tools are not godlike - they generate plausible-sounding text and often makes mistakes. It's quicker to do the work yourself than to risk such critical errors
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Gems like this: "I hadn't read the submission of the powerful Secretaries Board to a separate parliamentary inquiry when I saw a glimpse of Perkins' single vehicle clown car crash, not realising that this was in fact a pile-up of clown cars on the off-ramp to government opacity."
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I'm late to post this but this from @squigglyrick.bsky.social is well worth your time rick-morton.ghost.io/deliver-us-l...
rick-morton.ghost.io
Deliver Us, Lord, From Ridicule
On Friday, Defence deputy secretary Celia Perkins began her evidence before a senate inquiry into asset sales by the department and Australian military with an embarrassing manoeuvre. 'In closing, I ...
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Matt Bors @mattbors.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
It was exactly ten years ago today, on my 33rd birthday, that I posted this comic online.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Why I will always do my own writing and my own thinking dominoesunderthemulberry.ghost.io/are-you-sure/
dominoesunderthemulberry.ghost.io
Are you sure? Welcome to Dominoes Under the Mulberry
Why I will always do my own writing and my own thinking. By Daniel Hurst
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Ette Media @ettemedia.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
“If journalism wants to remain relevant when a teenager can ask an AI chatbot what happened anywhere in the world and receive an answer in seconds, it needs to offer something better than speed,” writes award-winning journalist Laura Banks.
ettemedia.com
When everything is breaking, nothing is important
For years, the media responded to social media by becoming faster, more urgent and more constant, but AI now makes speed almost meaningless.
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Alex Ip 葉清霖 @alexip718.com · 01/09/2026
Ahem
Jamelle Bouie: 

the question to ask about this is, okay, he wants to cancel the midterms. how does he get the VA state board of elections to cancel the midterms? how does he get the georgia board of elections to do it? how does he convince republican house members to quit their jobs and give up their paychecks?

Me, quote posting Jamelle Bouie from seven months ago:

My hypothesis is that Trump will demand the Postmaster General to refuse delivering and collecting mail ballots, which would make free and fair elections practically impossible in the Western states
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Why I will always do my own writing and my own thinking dominoesunderthemulberry.ghost.io/are-you-sure/
dominoesunderthemulberry.ghost.io
Are you sure? Welcome to Dominoes Under the Mulberry
Why I will always do my own writing and my own thinking. By Daniel Hurst
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Checking in on the international rules-based order ™
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Just one in a long list of ways our information environment is being actively polluted. We'll be dealing with the clean up for years to come
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Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Many in the migrants' rights sector have been warning about exactly this. AI is absolutely not suitable for being used in asylum cases. Not only because of the risk of "hallucination", but also because it is unable to deal with the nuance and complexity. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Home Office used ‘AI hallucinated’ information to refuse asylum claim, judge suggests
Upper tribunal unable to find document cited in case and claims it is ‘analogous to relying on bogus evidence’
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Reminds me of "the internet is a series of tubes" (crazily, that is from 20 years ago now) or this from the IT Crowd www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDby...
youtube.com
Moss Introduces Jen To The Internet | The IT Crowd Series 3 Episode 4: The Internet
YouTube video by The IT Crowd
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Including in the bit saying national consistency might be good: "ECMC agreed, with QLD and NT opposing, that a nationally consistent approach to regulating data centres is preferred"
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Maggie Harrison Dupré @mharrisondupre.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
NEW: A large trove of Claude-generated documents have been exposed to the web and indexed by Google. We reviewed what appear to be real medical records, the full names and phone numbers of school-aged children, and company documents marked for internal use only. futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com
A Whole Bunch of People's Claude Chats Are Publicly Accessible Online, and There's Some Wildly Private Stuff in There
A trove of documents generated by Anthropic's Claude were indexed by Google. They included medical records and student information.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
btw the best live blog of all time was the 'leap second' www.theguardian.com/science/live...
theguardian.com
Leap second: all the latest developments and reaction – live!
You just had one of the longest hours of your life. At midnight GMT, clocks added an extra second to allow atomic clocks to stay in sync with the Earth’s rotation. Will the internet fall apart? Follow...
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Surprised the Guardian didn't do a dedicated live blog for this
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal has been accused of misleading the Royal Commission after claiming the Palestinian death toll in Gaza was “grossly inflated”, reports @deepcutnews.bsky.social (IDF accepted in January the health ministry figure largely accurate) www.deepcutnews.com/p/jillian-se...
deepcutnews.com
Jillian Segal claimed Gaza death toll is 'grossly inflated'. Here are the facts.
Legal expert warns Segal could be in breach of Royal Commission Act over 'misleading' claims
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Congratulations!!!!
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
"But perhaps more troubling is that Google, the proprietor of the world’s primary research tool, has rolled out AI Overviews that can indiscriminately take in fake material and authoritatively spit it back out as real."
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
A quick thread on my latest #FOI story for Crikey www.crikey.com.au/2026/07/01/i...
crikey.com.au
'Legitimate criticism' of Israel is fine, internal governments docs say. It's unclear what this means
Documents obtained by Crikey paint an ambiguous picture of what counts as antisemitic in the government's eyes, as it continues to apply a controversial definition.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
The @jewishcouncilau.bsky.social argued in its royal commission submission that conflating Jewish identity with support for Israel “silences Israel-critical and non-zionist Jews”. Read the full story on @crikey.com.au here: www.crikey.com.au/2026/07/01/i...
crikey.com.au
'Legitimate criticism' of Israel is fine, internal governments docs say. It's unclear what this means
Documents obtained by Crikey paint an ambiguous picture of what counts as antisemitic in the government's eyes, as it continues to apply a controversial definition.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Special envoy's handbook www.aseca.gov.au/sites/defaul... says antisemitism is “shape-shifting”; “many antisemitic tropes are conveyed and justified in the language of human rights and international legal arguments”. Page 76: "Antisemitism & antizionism are both expressions of hatred towards Jews."
Extract from Special Envoy handbook page 76 

“In modern times, particularly after the
October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas,
much of the dis course among protesters
worldwide and within pro-Palestinian and
Arabic-speaking circles aligns with this
Soviet-influenced narrative….Today, as during
the Cold War, this narrative continues to
perpetuate antisemitism by portraying Israel
as a product of Western colonial ambitions,
reinforcing harmful stereotypes under the
guise of anti-imperialist and anti-colonial
discourse.”
Trying to separate “antisemitism” from
“antizionism” ignores the history of
misinformation, disinformation and
antisemitic propaganda that has shaped
narratives about Israel and Zionism. It
also ignores the lived and practical reality
that wherever these antizionist narratives
have been propagated, it has resulted in
dis crimination, harassment, vilification,
hate and harm towards Jews. For example,
Poland’s 1968 antizionist campaign resulted
in expulsions and forced emigration of
thousands of Jewish Poles.
Antisemitism and antizionism are both
expressions of hatred towards Jews.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
...but we didn't receive a direct response to that question. Instead, the spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs pointed to the fact that the special envoy had recently published a public explainer and a handbook to “assist” in the application of the definition “in an Australian context”.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
We asked whether the govt regarded it as legitimate or antisemitic to say that Israel has, for decades, treated Palestinians differently from Israeli settlers in the West Bank & East Jerusalem is in breach of international prohibitions on racial segregation and apartheid (as per ICJ findings) ...
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
The govt's position is that "criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic". Elsewhere the documents say, repeatedly, that the definition "does not prevent legitimate criticism of the actions of Israel". So what is considered legitimate?
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
More interesting were three pages at the end of the bundle showing form language the Dept of Home Affairs uses to respond to concerns from members of the public regarding the IHRA definition (including "concerns regarding the conflation of antisemitism with legitimate criticism of Israeli policies")
Extract from Dept of Home Affairs correspondence template: 

Conflation concerns
I note your concerns regarding the conflation of antisemitism with legitimate criticism of Israeli policies. You may be aware that the Government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism in an effort to assist in framing the issue, understanding its causes and coordinating action to respond to it. The IHRA’s working definition was embraced by the Australian Government in 2021 and is not legally binding. The examples of antisemitism, which the IHRA offer for illustrative purposes, highlight that criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
...but nothing particularly revealing as the FOI decision maker redacted some pages that would have shed light on government "deliberative processes": "Disclosure of this deliberative information could reasonably be expected to inhibit full and frank advice from the Department to its Minister"
Fully redacted pages
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
After the usual FOI procedural joys - an extension granted, follow-ups after the deadline was missed - I finally received back a bundle of documents from Home Affairs a couple of weeks ago. There were some emails related to the Govt's response to the Special Envoy's Plan to Combat Antisemitism....
Extract from an email

Subject: RE: Additional changes and input 
Date: Wednesday, 17 December 2025 8:15:46 PM

Hi [redacted]

The below is also not mentioned in the draft, and it could be, either under ‘definition’ or the Envoy’s Work Plan section:
The Envoy will publish a supplementary guide to the IHRA definition (an IHRA Handbook), which will assist in its application in an Australian context.

Thanks
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Given the Albanese govt had put the IHRA working definition of antisemitism into the royal commission terms of reference, I thought it would be a matter of public interest to try to find out what advice / talking points ministers had received on this definition. So I applied for this in Feb.
Extract from my FOI application 11 February 2026:

I apply under the Freedom of Information Act to the following documents held by the Department of Home Affairs:

1. Any ministerial submissions, advice or briefings to/for Minister Burke and/or Minister Aly in relation to the IHRA working definition of antisemitism. This search is limited to the period 29 July 2024 to 11 February 2026 inclusive.

2. The most up-to-date version of talking points in relation to the IHRA working definition of antisemitism. (To be clear, I'm not seeking every version of the talking points that has existed in the search period, just the latest version as of the date of this FOI application.)
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
A quick thread on my latest #FOI story for Crikey www.crikey.com.au/2026/07/01/i...
crikey.com.au
'Legitimate criticism' of Israel is fine, internal governments docs say. It's unclear what this means
Documents obtained by Crikey paint an ambiguous picture of what counts as antisemitic in the government's eyes, as it continues to apply a controversial definition.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Australian govt docs say contentious definition of antisemitism "does not prevent legitimate criticism of the actions of Israel" - but officials won’t clarify if ok to accuse it of apartheid/racial segregation as per ICJ ruling New freelance piece @crikey.com.au www.crikey.com.au/2026/07/01/i...
crikey.com.au
'Legitimate criticism' of Israel is fine, internal governments docs say. It's unclear what this means
Documents obtained by Crikey paint an ambiguous picture of what counts as antisemitic in the government's eyes, as it continues to apply a controversial definition.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
The aaaLiberal Party (like the old trick businesses used to get towards the front of the White/Yellow Pages)
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Josh Taylor @joshtaylor.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The cost of tokens is not taken into account. Let alone the increasing reports of people having to clean up AI slop code affecting productivity. www.cio.com/article/4189...
cio.com
AI coding token costs are on track to rival human payroll
Growing use of coding agents and consumption-based pricing models could push per-developer AI spending to unprecedented levels over the next two years, says Gartner.
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Pwnallthethings @pwnallthethings.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
When people read about this era in 200 years they're going to be convinced most of it was an allegory and not real
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
Reminder: you can oppose oppressive rulers AND be aware that illegal regime-change wars rarely end well
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
*club
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Amy Remeikis @amyremeikis.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Sarah Martin is an incredible journalist and Hanson personally attacking her for very standard questions shows just how down the Trump normalisation we are. And it will come to all journalists who do their job.
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Sarah Martin and I both have the honour to have been called "trashy" from the national press council podium. Her from Pauline Hanson, me from Peter Dutton
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Daniel Hurst @danielhurst.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Raf is right to call out double standards. Universal human rights matter
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 05/06/2026
I have a genAI non-use statement on my site+ make point of making this clear for new clients I cannot state strongly enough how much this benefits me in finding work, and specifically finding GOOD work All the best outlets love it, and all the worst outlets hate it www.cityam.com/there-should...
I currently write for outlets like Crikey and RenewEconomy, and have previously contributed to outlets like Foreign Policy, The New Republic, The Age and the Guardian.

For all of my work, I don’t use generative tools for text, images or videos, or as a reference point or for knowledge retrieval, due to the stack of ethical, environmental and inaccuracy issues that plague them.

I contribute to The Australia Institute as a Senior Research Associate, alongside working with various Europe-based NGOs, contributing to and sharing their analytical work on climate and energy. 

I am a committee member for Comms Declare, a brilliant organisation that is fighting hard to ensure PR and marketing aren’t used to worsen the climate crisis or expand fossil fuels. Thursday 04 June 2026 5:01 am  |  Updated:  Wednesday 03 June 2026 4:14 pm
There should have been an op-ed here but you filed AI slop

By:Anna Moloney

Deputy Comment and Features Editor

Add as a preferredCity AM’s inbox is drowning in AI-written pitches. Anna Moloney, who now spends her days copy and pasting them into detection software, has had enough

In this slot there should have been an op-ed. A punchy one from a high-flying lawyer on the ever raging debate around inheritance tax, perfectly attuned to the interests of City AM readers. However, as is now happening at an alarming regularity, what said lawyer filed was not an insightful piece drawing on their many years of experience and expertise, but 600 words of AI-generated slop. 

I will not name, but I will shame. 

Unfortunately, this is no longer a rare occurrence. In the last few weeks, running copy filed by those I thought were reputable contacts through AI detection software has become a core, and unloved, part of my job. This week alone, I have gone back to three ‘writers’ asking why their copy has been flagged as 100 per cent AI-generated with high confidence, per our software’s rating. Some feign shock – “how strange!” – though most, I’ve been surprised, fess up immediately, usually with caveats they think absolve them. 

They “just” used it to edit down a piece to the word count. They “only” used it to “refine” a draft. They “don’t know” if their client used AI to write the piece, but “rest assured” they edited it afterwards. In one case, I received a follow up, saying they were very disappointed to see the piece hadn’t run, and that “it would be a shame for it to go to waste”.
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