Earlier today, I read an excellent article at Vice called: How to Get Free Coke.
While many Gen Z writers are cranking out woke garbage, Jewel Nichols rolled out of bed and penned something like Hunter S. Thompson in 1971. How to Get Free Coke crackled with youthful cynicism and joyful nihilism. Nichols' perspective of using men for drugs mirrored many Rock Star Biographies that, less eloquently, stereotypically described using women for sex.
I enjoyed Jewel Nichols' prose and searched Vice for more of her articles to read. Sadly, it was her debut article. Why sadly? Just Thursday, CNN reported: Vice Laying Off Hundreds, To Stop Publishing Content on Its Website
Well then how did Nichols' article get published? At first I explained it away based on logistics. Jewel Nichols' article was first published by Vice Australia, then picked up by the VICE Mothership. That piece could have been completed weeks ago, before corporate shutdowns were announced.
I then went to Vice Australia and it was Nichols' first article there, too. Wow, that's super bad timing for a young journalist.
So I re-read the article to gleam more clues. Jewel Nichols is from Sydney, Australia, can't be that many journalists in Sydney named Jewel Nichols, right?
Nothing at Google. Not even a student entry at the University of Sydney.
Nothing at Muck Rack. Even the lowest level journalists show up there.
Which leaves us with 2 remaining options. Jewel Nichols could be someone like veteran Vice Australia reporter Arielle RIchards. Due to the content of the story, Ms. Richards may have changed a few facts, like her name and Australian city of origin, so as not to embarrass her folks or her significant other. That is doubtful, but it's not impossible.
Or...
Jewel Nichols is AI.
If everyone is gone, is VICE moving to an all AI model?
In 2017, Vice Media was worth $5 billion. Thursday, when the announcement of "no new content" was made, Vice was only a few months clear of bankruptcy court. Nichols' content was 2 days after the "no new content" decree.
Jewel Nichols' story SEEMED real, but just last month, Vice itself warned of a "shocking" amount of AI generated content on the internet, specifically on news websites. Is it feasible that Vice was all too cognizant of their own future and they omitted a word or two?
Like "no new [HUMAN] content?"
<sigh>