The Times of London has been forced to retract an article after discovering they interviewed a wine importer named Bill DeBlasio, not the former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio. The article, published on Tuesday, quoted the impostor criticizing Zohran Mamdani, a candidate for mayor whom the real de Blasio supports.
The fake de Blasio, who runs La Vendemmia Wine Importers in Long Island, told Semafor that he used ChatGPT to craft his responses in the style of the former mayor. He claimed the reporter never verified his identity, addressing him only as "Mr DeBlasio." The real Bill de Blasio denounced the article as "entirely false and fabricated."
The Times apologized and removed the article, stating they were "misled by an individual falsely claiming to be the former New York mayor." The incident highlights the importance of journalistic verification, especially in the age of AI, where even a wine importer can sound like a seasoned politician.
