"Famous Actor Interview Turns Out to Be AI-Generated? Controversy Surrounds Singapore Magazine"

After Failing to Secure Interview, Magazine Uses AI... Explains as "Creative Experiment"


Amid Criticism of "Undermining Journalistic Credibility," Ethical Debate Emerges

A magazine in Singapore has sparked controversy after publishing an article featuring an 'AI-generated virtual interview' when it failed to secure an actual interview with an actor.

On April 8 (local time), Singaporean media outlets such as MS News and Channel News Asia (CNA) reported that the men's magazine Esquire Singapore had released an interview-format article with Japanese-American actor Arata Makenyu on March 6.

Makenyu, a Japanese-American actor, has recently gained attention for his role as Roronoa Zoro in the Netflix live-action adaptation of the popular manga "One Piece." He is currently active in both Japan and Hollywood.

Japanese-American actor Makenyu Arata. IMDb capture

However, the article in question was not based on an actual interview, but was instead a 'virtual interview' created using AI. According to the magazine, after the in-person interview fell through, they attempted a written interview as well, but this also did not materialize. As a result, they constructed the article by having AI generate new answers based on previous interview statements and other available material.

This fact was not known at the time of publication, but it later became controversial after being mentioned on platforms such as YouTube. Readers responded critically, saying that the article "undermined the credibility of journalism" and was a "poorly written article relying on AI."

Some internet users also took issue with the AI-generated version of Makenyu referencing his late father, actor Sonny Chiba. They argued it was ethically inappropriate to have AI speak about emotions regarding a deceased parent.

In fact, the local outlet Marketing Interactive reported that "over 80% of the responses to the article were negative."

As the controversy grew, the magazine explained that this was an "intentional editorial direction." They said it was an experimental attempt to create a digital-era persona in the absence of the actual person, in line with the March issue's theme of "Echo." However, as criticism intensified, they deleted some expressions and separately announced the corrections.

Meanwhile, Makenyu's side has not released any statement regarding the controversy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.