Top Execs at Sports Illustrated’s Publisher Fired After AI Debacle

The recent firing of two senior executives, COO Andrew Kraft and President Rob Barrett, at The Arena Group, the owner of _Sports Illustrated_, has sparked attention to the company’s recent AI controversy. The dismissal is part of a broader restructuring effort by the majority owner, billionaire Manoj Bhargava, following the revelation that _Sports Illustrated_ and _TheStreet_ published AI-generated articles under fake bylines without proper disclosure. The company’s stock had also been declining prior to the AI scandal.