The Arena Group (TAG), the parent company of U.S. sports publication Sports Illustrated (SI), has appointed Manoj Bhargava as the interim CEO following the termination of CEO Sam Levinsohn. Levinsohn was dismissed amid an AI scandal revealed in an investigative report that disclosed the use of AI to generate content in SI articles, including author identities.
In a statement, TAG’s board of directors revealed the termination of Levinsohn’s employment, effective immediately, stating their commitment to improving the company’s operational efficiency and revenue. Bhargava, founder of 5-hour ENERGY and owner of Bridge Media Networks, has been named the interim Chief Executive Officer.
The AI scandal unfolded after a Futurism report on November 27, leading to a series of terminations at TAG, including operations president and COO Andrew Kraft, media president Rob Barrett, and corporate counsel Julie Fenster. The report, based on information from a content creator at SI, exposed the use of AI-generated authors and raised concerns about the authenticity of identities and articles.
The unverified report received additional support from an anonymous source within SI’s content creation, confirming the widespread use of AI-generated authors. The Sports Illustrated Union, affiliated with the New Guild of New York, expressed horror at the allegations, emphasizing that such practices, if true, go against journalistic principles and are disrespectful to readers.
