Cuckoo Bird's Deception Mirrors AI's Threat to Journalism

A columnist for *Bon Dia* has drawn a striking parallel between the cuckoo bird's parasitic breeding habits and the rise of artificial intelligence in journalism, warning of potential deception for both wildlife and readers.

The piece, penned by Cerqueda, begins with anticipation for spring's arrival and the distinctive call of the cuckoo—known worldwide by its onomatopoeic name in languages from Catalan "cucut" to English "cuckoo" and French "coucou." Yet beneath this familiar sound lies a darker strategy: the bird infiltrates another species' nest, lays an egg, and its chick ejects the rightful offspring. The unwitting foster parents then feed the intruder, often three times their size, until it fledges.

This reflection took a personal turn when an acquaintance suggested Cerqueda test AI by asking it to mimic his writing style. He likened the tool to the cuckoo, "parasitising" his past articles to generate new ones without original thought. "It's like exploiting the nest you've slowly built," he wrote, noting AI's resource demands—water and energy—while rendering human input obsolete.

Eager to experiment, Cerqueda prompted an AI at home. The result impressed his wife, who urged him not to publish it, fearing it might inspire *Bon Dia*'s owners to replace flesh-and-blood contributors with algorithms. He agreed, viewing it as unethical: a quick, effortless product that deceives readers, much like the cuckoo's ruse. Would audiences notice the "trickery," he wondered, as foster birds fail to?

For further insight, Cerqueda asked the AI to envision him in 2036, still crafting his own texts. It depicted him as a "Neanderthal of syntax"—stubbornly hunting the perfect adjective, a quirk as quaint to future generations as cross-stitch. Seated on a park bench, he would chew over his mental hyperactivity amid youth basking in "algorithmic happiness."

Cercada mused that while he always imagined ending up on such a bench to grumble freely, AI forecasts confirm it—though now as a site for introspective rumination. He called the prediction "captivating."