ATLANTA—As the growing popularity of artificial intelligence continues to roil the news industry, Gray Media’s award-winning national investigative team, InvestigateTV, and Gray stations have launched a new multiplatform investigative project to educate viewers about the unseen ways artificial intelligence is impacting various parts of their everyday lives.
The project, “Manipulated: A Disinformation Nation,” brings together InvestigateTV’s national unit and Gray’s local newsrooms to explore how AI is already shaping what people see online and how audiences can protect themselves. Stories will air across InvestigateTV’s free streaming apps, on investigatetv.com, and on Gray news platforms nationwide.
The first report in the series, debuting on August 26, exposes the rise of deceptive AI content, including scam campaigns that impersonate trusted sources to stir anger and “civic chaos”. The story also reveals how some popular online creators are using AI to help people spot a dangerous scheme before they are a victim.
“InvestigateTV and our newsrooms are trusted sources in giving viewers insight into how new technology affects their daily lives. By combining our national investigative team with local reporting across our markets, we will empower audiences to educate themselves and avoid being misled,” said Sandy Breland, Gray’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.
In the weeks ahead, Gray reported that the national team will publish additional investigations on topics including AI-driven celebrity spoofs, designer knockoffs that undercut small businesses, and personal videos repackaged into fabricated fundraisers or ads. Each story will emphasize simple steps viewers can take to verify content and avoid scams. Gray stations will report locally on AI’s growing role in government, schools, healthcare, and more. The project will cover all sides of the AI phenomenon, including its innovative and potentially positive aspects.
“This in-depth series will arm our audience with critical information about the rising impact of AI and how to tell the difference between its helpful and harmful applications,” said Lee Zurik, Gray’s senior vice president of news strategy and innovation.
To support the coverage, InvestigateTV created an interactive page at investigatetv.com/manipulated featuring video explainers and a game that challenges users to distinguish real photos from AI-generated images. The page also provides consumer protection resources and will be updated with new content from across the Gray footprint.
