AI the main suspect after radio stations wrongly identify reporter as alleged violent offender

Multiple radio bulletins across Southern Cross Austereo aired a story in which a News Corp reporter was mistakenly named as the man who allegedly struck police with a hammer before escaping custody. Photograph: aleksandr Lychagin/Alamy

Identifying the wrong person in a news report is not new in journalism, but AI has added a whole new level of danger.

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has been investigating this week whether its introduction of AI-assisted news bulletins led to a News Corp reporter being mistakenly named as the man who allegedly struck police with a hammer before escaping custody. The journalist’s name was aired in multiple bulletins on its Triple M and SAFM stations.