FAZ removes Voigt guest article over AI concerns

The German newspaper FAZ has removed a guest article authored by Mario Voigt, the state premier of Thuringia, after uncovering indications that it may have been generated using artificial intelligence. The article, which focused on the topic of social media bans for children and adolescents, was initially published in the print edition last summer and remained accessible online on faz.net until its recent removal.

According to FAZ, the transparency platform "Frag den Staat" (Ask the State) found evidence suggesting the text's AI origins. When the newspaper approached Voigt's office for clarification, they reportedly received evasive responses. This lack of transparency prompted the editorial team to de-publish the article online and block it from the archive.

This incident follows a similar controversy in early June, where a guest article by Voigt and the state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Sven Schulze, for the newspaper "Die Welt" was reported to have been created with the help of generative AI. At that time, Voigt's state chancellery admitted to using AI but did not confirm if the entire text was AI-generated.

The FAZ cited its own policy on AI content, stating that it does not publish original articles with AI-generated text unless the use of AI is the subject of the article itself and is disclosed. This policy extends to external guest contributions, as the editorial team relies on the assumption that submitted texts are "human-made" and that quotes are accurate. Voigt is currently facing political pressure due to plagiarism allegations, and his doctoral degree was revoked by TU Chemnitz, a decision he is contesting.

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