Two Execs Out At The Arena Group
- by Ray Schultz , December 7, 2023
The Arena Group has let go of two senior executives, although it is not clear if they are taking the hit for the recent AI glitch at Sports Illustrated.
“This week, some adjustments to The Arena Group business have been made to improve efficiency and revenue, and also some changes to senior management have been made, including the departures of COO Andrew Kraft and Rob Barrett," the company said in a statement given to MediaPost. Barrett had been president of media.
Remaining on board is Ross Levinsohn, CEO.
These changes occurred as owner Manoj Bhargava, the energy drink tycoon who acquired the firm earlier this year, held a 90-minute video meeting with staff, according to Front Office
Sports.
Bhargava reportedly told the staff, “The amount of useless stuff you guys do is staggering."
Sports Illustrated has come under fire for publishing AI-generated articles.
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"This practice marks a significant shift from the magazine's past accolades in sports journalism,” says Jim Kaskade, CEO of Conversica. “The use of AI-generated content and personas, without proper disclosure, undermines journalistic ethics and erodes reader trust.”
The Arena Group had issued a statement saying, “The articles in question were product reviews and were licensed content from an external, third-party company, AdVon Commerce" that were "written and edited by humans.”
