ClickOut Media's AI-Generated Content Raises Questions About Authorship and Ethics

A freelance writer has spoken out about the indignity of being fired by ClickOut Media, only to see his name attached to subpar articles generated by an artificial intelligence system. Ben Touati, a Stockholm-based journalist, was let go from the company’s German operation in early 2026, but his name continued to appear under new articles published on various websites owned by ClickOut Media.

Touati told Press Gazette that he felt ‘slapped in the face’ when he discovered the AI-generated content bearing his name. The articles were riddled with errors and lacked the quality he had come to expect from his own work. He described them as ‘lazy, obviously slop’, adding that there was no sign of a human writer behind the text.

The situation is not an isolated incident for ClickOut Media. Earlier this year, the company faced controversy when it emerged that one of its articles on Videogamer had been written by a bogus AI journalist. Further investigation revealed that numerous other articles across its outlets were also generated by AI systems, some even featuring fake authors with AI-generated profile photos.

Touati first began working with ClickOut Media in early 2024 and was moved between different sites, including Techopedia, iGaming, and Esports Insider. He claimed to have resisted pressure from his managers to use AI for writing articles, saying that they would often remark on the impossibility of getting by without it. Employees were also shown a video demonstrating how to ‘humanize’ AI-written content.

Touati’s experience with ClickOut Media raises questions about the ethics of using AI-generated content and the importance of transparency in authorship. The company’s statement, which cited its use of AI-assisted content alongside human checks and edits, did little to address Touati’s concerns or provide clarity on why his name was used for subpar articles.

The incident highlights a broader issue within the publishing industry: the increasing reliance on AI-generated content without adequate safeguards in place. As more online publishers turn to AI tools, there is a growing need for clear guidelines and regulations to ensure that authorship remains transparent and accurate.

Touati was eventually able to achieve some recourse by filing a claim against ClickOut Media under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. The company subsequently removed his name from the articles, replacing it with another writer’s name. However, the incident has left many wondering about the implications of AI-generated content on authorship and ethics in publishing.