The emergence of a small publication calling itself The Wire by Acutus has drawn scrutiny over whether it is publishing large amounts of machine-written copy while presenting itself as an independent technology and science outlet. The site, which appeared in late 2025, has produced close to 100 articles and describes its coverage as spanning technology, science, energy, business and health.

The doubts deepened after journalist Tyler Johnston ran the site’s output through Pangram, an AI-detection tool. In the analysis he shared, 69% of 94 articles were classified as entirely generated by AI, while a further 28% were marked as partly generated by AI. Only three pieces were identified as fully human-written, according to the report.

That finding should be treated cautiously. Pangram says it is built to detect AI-written text and claims a low false-positive rate, while independent commentary cited by the company says the tool performs well in comparison with rivals. Even so, AI detection systems remain imperfect, and critics regularly warn that they can mislabel human writing or miss machine-generated passages. On that basis, Johnston’s results are best understood as a strong signal rather than conclusive proof.

What has also fuelled suspicion is the tone of the publication itself. The articles flagged in the investigation appear broadly supportive of artificial intelligence and sharply critical of those calling for tighter controls. Some pieces go further, referring to a rise in anti-AI radicalism, which has led observers to ask whether the site functions less as a neutral news outlet than as a vehicle for industry-friendly argument.

The investigation also pointed to possible indirect links with the ecosystem around OpenAI. A significant share of the site’s activity on X was traced to Patrick Hynes, who leads the public affairs firm Novus Public Affairs. That firm works with Targeted Victory, a consulting company that has been involved in lobbying efforts connected to OpenAI’s regulatory interests in Washington, according to the material cited in the investigation.

If those connections are borne out, the case would add to wider concerns about how artificial intelligence may be used not only to produce content at scale, but also to cloak advocacy in the language of independent journalism. As AI systems become more capable and more widely deployed, the questions around disclosure, editorial accountability and influence over public debate are becoming harder for media organisations to avoid.

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Source: Noah Wire Services