CJ Baker, a reporter for the Powell Tribune, uncovered that Aaron Pelczar, a rookie journalist at the Cody Enterprise, used generative AI to fabricate quotes in at least seven of his articles.

The Cody Enterprise is conducting a full review of Pelczar's work, which revealed that his articles contained AI-generated quotes from six individuals, including fabricated quotes from Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.

Governor Gordon's staff discovered false quotes attributed to him in Pelczar's stories, underscoring the severity of the AI misuse.

Baker's concerns intensified after a late July article by Pelczar featured quotes that resembled news releases rather than actual statements from court cases.

Pelczar's writing style raised suspicions due to robotic phrasing and fabricated quotes, prompting a review of his work by the Cody Enterprise.

Chris Bacon, the editor of the Cody Enterprise, admitted failures in oversight and publicly apologized for the inclusion of AI-generated content and false quotes.

Following the revelations, Pelczar resigned from the Cody Enterprise, which has since committed to preventing future occurrences of such incidents.

Megan Barton, the publisher of the Cody Enterprise, described AI as a new form of plagiarism and emphasized the need for robust policies regarding its use in journalism.

The Cody Enterprise has pledged to review all of Pelczar's articles and implement an AI policy to ensure integrity in future reporting.

This incident highlights the potential dangers of AI in journalism, as it can produce seemingly credible but false content, echoing historical issues of fabricated quotes and facts.

While some news organizations utilize AI for routine tasks, the Associated Press prohibits generative AI for publishable content to maintain journalistic integrity.