Fake pitches flood newsrooms as AI tools proliferate

Fictional journalist 'Margaux Blanchard' fooled outlets like Wired and Business Insider, exposing media security gaps as AI tools enable sophisticated hoaxes.

The lure of AI pitches for freelancers is sometimes irresistible. (Credit: Midjourney)

“Margaux Blanchard” never existed. Yet this fictional freelance journalist successfully placed articles in Wired, Business Insider, and four other publications before Press Gazette exposed the elaborate hoax in August.

Press Gazette’s investigation found that “Blanchard…