Fake news scandals targeting Brisbane Broncos labelled as bogus
NRL boss Andrew Abdo has labelled an AI-generated story regarding false claims of a betting scandal involving the Brisbane Broncos as bogus as the code attempts to contain fallout from the matter.
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The NRL has been rocked by a fake news scandal involving artificial intelligence reports wrongly accusing a Broncos player of being banned for betting on rugby league matches.
Sport Confidential can reveal NRL boss Andrew Abdo and the Broncos have been made aware of multiple AI-generated fake news reports.
One of the stories claims the NRL has suspended a Broncos player for his role in a betting scandal while another reports a Brisbane player has been sacked. Both are false.
There is no suggestion the players or the Broncos are guilty of any wrongdoing and we have not named the players involved given the accusations are fake.
According to one report – circulated on websites and social-media platforms to millions of readers around the world – the player was hit with an eight-month ban by the NRL following an “extensive investigation by the NRL integrity unit”.
Incredibly, the AI report contains what appears to be official ‘quotes’ from Abdo, the Broncos and even the player, who supposedly released a “heartfelt” statement apologising for his conduct.
Another report claims a Broncos player has been sacked following a “serious misunderstanding with the club’s owners”.
Alarmed by the fake reports, the Broncos have attempted to contact the website on which the stories appeared, European-based Kvibezsport. The website has other fake stories related to the NRL which have been circulated to numerous social-media outlets via bots.
The shocking development underlines the dangers of artificial intelligence and how not even some of Australia’s biggest sporting clubs and organisations, such as the Broncos and NRL, are immune to false information generated by AI.
The betting story shows a picture of the player in Broncos gear, sourced from an official club image taken by Brisbane’s digital team, followed by claims Abdo had addressed the media to confirm the eight-month suspension.
Alarmingly, Abdo’s comments – generated by AI – sound entirely believable.
A fake statement from the Broncos said: “We are deeply disappointed by (player’s) actions and the impact this has on our team and our fans.
“However, we stand by (player) as he takes responsibility for his actions ... and ensuring he receives the necessary guidance and support.”
The Broncos have explored possible legal recourse for a defamation case but tracking down the original source of the stories is the problem.
A number of Facebook websites running the stories have removed the item after being contacted by the Broncos.
Contacted by this masthead, NRL chief executive Abdo declined to comment but confirmed the story is “bogus”.
Originally published as Fake news scandals targeting Brisbane Broncos labelled as bogus
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