New York Times Bans Freelancers From Using AI Tools After Series of Scandals

The New York Times bans freelancers from using AI tools like ChatGPT and image generators after a series of scandals, including a contributor who used chatbots to write a personal essay, a freelancer fired for AI-generated plagiarism, and a staff reporter whose published piece contained an AI-fabricated quote from a Canadian politician.

• The New York Times sends a stern reminder to freelance contributors, warning that all submitted writing and visuals must be entirely human-created, with AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and image generators strictly prohibited for drafting, editing, or rephrasing any part of a story.
• The warning follows a series of AI-related scandals at the paper, including a contributor who used chatbots to write a personal essay, a freelancer fired for submitting an AI-generated book review filled with plagiarism, and a staff reporter whose published article contained an AI-fabricated quote from a Canadian politician.
• The Times confirms that issuing updated guidance to freelancers is routine practice, while noting that in-house journalists operate under separate guidelines that include access to approved generative AI tools.