Tech

Warcraft fans use the Glorbo hoax to trick an AI article bot

Jul 24, 2023 2 min read

Standing in the pouring rain, with what appears to be a volcano in the distance, is a humanoid creature that resem...

Following the publication of a false article based on their Reddit posts, World of Warcraft fans are proclaiming victory over artificial intelligence (AI).

Members of the WoW subreddit believed a bot was extracting their words and using them to produce news articles.

So they set a trap by posting giddy posts about a brand-new function called Glorbo. It does not exist, which is the only issue.

However, an article still managed to appear on the gaming website Zleague.

The story listed a number of other increasingly bizarre—and unquestionably fake—features mentioned in various subreddit threads and presented Glorbo as authentic.

The "mandatory item Klikclac," the "epic quest to overthrow Quackion, the Aspect of Ducks," and the "small, cozy island" of Zoop were some of these.

One of Warcraft's senior developers joined in on the celebrations as fans tweeted their joy at "finally" being able to talk about Glorbo.

The article has since been deleted along with others that people had flagged as being made from recycled Reddit posts, though Zleague hasn't confirmed it was made using AI.

It has been noted that the author credited with writing the article has posted dozens of articles on the site every day, casting doubt on the possibility that a human was behind each one.

A World of Warcraft character with a bald head, bushy beard and black circles around his eyes stands on a muddy slope. He's wearing an ornate suit of armour with a large golden buckle at his waist. He has giant shoulder pads topped with blue jewels, and what looks like an eagle-like creature with its wings spread on his left shoulder. Two bright blue items - possibly potion bottles, hang from his belt. There's an old-world wooden cart or hut with ornate wooden trim in the background. There's a wooden post with a lantern hanging off it on the opposite side. The rest of the landscape is .ted with trees and tall, snow-covered mountains. — No, this is not Quackion: Aspect of Ducks' first appearance. Yes, it couldn't.

The practical joke also prompts some more important concerns about using AI to generate content.

Gaming websites typically hire real writers with in-depth subject knowledge who can identify and fact-check false information.

And while there are legitimate worries about AI replacing some jobs, some authoritative figures have emphasized that it is not yet as intelligent as we might always believe.

And it appears that humans are winning this time out, 1-0, over robots.

However, with some reputable websites cutting staff and looking into AI, gamers are concerned about the caliber of their news.

Zleague has been contacted by BBC Newsbeat for comment.

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