Sports Illustrated pulls article after AI-linked plagiarism claims
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Sports Illustrated has removed an article and erased the byline of freelance writer Parker Loverich after accusations that the piece copied reporting from Sportico about prediction-market company Kalshi.
The allegations surfaced on May 18, 2026, when Sportico journalist Dan Bernstein wrote on X that SI had “stolen entire stories” without attribution, apparently with the help of artificial intelligence. Bernstein noted that the disputed article duplicated details that only Sportico had published, including his own request for comment.
Soon after Bernstein’s post, the story disappeared from SI’s website, and Loverich’s author page was taken down. SI also deleted much of its prediction-market vertical, which had been overseen by an outside publisher.
In a statement, Sports Illustrated said Loverich is a real person but acknowledged that the article violated the magazine’s editorial guidelines related to AI. The publication added that it has severed ties with the third-party publisher responsible for the content.
The episode recalls SI’s 2023 controversy, when the brand was reported to have run stories under fictitious, AI-generated author names. The fresh allegations again raise questions about the magazine’s editorial controls at a time when readers are increasingly wary of AI-produced material.
Source: Hoops Wire
