Microsoft Start automated poll damages Guardian reputation

An AI-generated poll accompanying an article republished on Microsoft's Start news aggregation website about a woman's death led to accusations of crass insensivity and prompted The Guardian to complain it had damaged its reputation.

The poll asked readers to speculate on the reason for the woman's death, which occurred at a school in Melbourne, Australia, asking them whether the woman had died by suicide, murder or accident.

In a disclaimer, the tech company noted the poll was part of it's 'Insights from AI.' But readers assumed The Guardian was responsible for the tool, one calling it 'pathetic' and 'disgusting', amongst other things.

In a letter (pdf) to Microsoft chairman Brad Smith, Guardian Media Group CEO Anna Bateson demanded the technology company take public responsibility for the poll, saying 'This is clearly an inappropriate use of genAI by Microsoft on a potentially distressing public interest story, originally written and published by Guardian journalists.'

Microsoft eventually removed the poll and turned off comments for the article, adding 'A poll should not have appeared alongside an article of this nature, and we are taking steps to help prevent this kind of error from reoccurring in the future.'