Semafor: Anti-Waymo PR Campaign Relied on Undisclosed AI-Generated Op-Eds
A Semafor investigation reveals that negative opinion pieces targeting autonomous vehicle company Waymo were largely generated by AI without disclosure to readers, sparking debate over media content standards.
According to a report by technology media outlet Semafor published on November 8, 2026, opponents of autonomous driving company Waymo have been using artificial intelligence to generate opinion pieces for local US newspapers without disclosing the AI involvement to readers.
Analysis by the AI detection service Pangram showed that articles published in outlets such as the New York Daily News, The Dallas Morning News, and the San Francisco Chronicle exhibited significant characteristics of AI generation. For instance, two articles by lawyer Amy Witherite regarding autonomous vehicle accidents in The Dallas Morning News were detected as 95% and 71% AI-written, respectively. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle warning about potential autonomous vehicle paralysis during power outages was reported to be 88% generated by AI.
Several named authors responded to these findings. Ira Goldstein, former head of New York’s Black Car Fund, stated that the first draft of his op-ed in the New York Daily News was indeed prepared by a public relations firm, which he described as standard procedure when working with PR agencies. He noted that he reviewed and edited the piece and stands by its views. Goldstein also revealed that the PR firm in question later switched to working for Waymo.
David Margulies, a spokesperson for lawyer Amy Witherite, said her team sometimes uses AI tools to monitor media coverage, develop press lists, and prepare initial drafts, which are then reviewed, edited, fact-checked by staff, and approved by Witherite. He emphasized that all pieces published under her name reflect her personal views.