Proliferating 'news' sites spew AI-generated fake stories

A sensational story about the Israeli prime minister's "psychiatrist" has exploded online, but it was AI-generated, originating on one of hundreds of websites researchers warn are churning out tech-enabled fiction masquerading as news. Propaganda-spewing websites have typically relied on armies of writers, but generative artificial intelligence tools now offer a significantly cheaper and faster way to fabricate content that is often hard to decipher from authentic information. Hundreds of AI-powered sites mimicking news outlets have cropped up in recent months, fueling an explosion of false narratives -- about everything from war to politicians -- that researchers say is stoking alarm in a year of high-stake elections around the world.