AI chatbots make mistakes with news content nearly half of the time, says study

The Chat GPT app icon on a smartphone screen on Aug. 4, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, file)

OTTAWA — A new report from a global alliance of public broadcasters says AI chatbots make mistakes with news content nearly half of the time.

The study, which looked at how AI chatbots answer questions about news and current affairs, involved 22 public media organizations in 18 countries, including CBC/Radio-Canada.

Their journalists evaluated more than 3,000 responses provided by four chatbots — OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini, and Perplexity.

They say they found at least one significant problem with 45 per cent of the AI answers.

There were serious problems with sourcing in 31 per cent of the responses, while 20 per cent had major accuracy issues.

The European Broadcasting Union says in a press release the study shows the AI chatbots replacing search engines “routinely misrepresent news content.”

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press