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Washington Post’s AI Podcast Draws Internal Rebuke Over Fabrications

Newsroom leaders question safeguards following error reports.

Overview

  • The Post launched “Your Personal Podcast” this week, letting app users choose topics, AI hosts, and episode length, with plans to integrate Ask The Post AI.
  • Staff testing quickly surfaced problems including misattributed and invented quotes, editorializing of news copy, and pronunciation gaffes.
  • Editors voiced concerns in Slack, with head of standards Karen Pensiero calling the situation "frustrating for all of us" and some staff urging the tool be pulled.
  • Product leadership has characterized the rollout as experimental, pointing to iterative fixes rather than suspension, and the feature remains publicly available.
  • The effort uses AI voice technology in line with wider media experiments, including the Post’s work with ElevenLabs, drawing increased scrutiny from outside outlets and readers.