When an editor at a local magazine in Toronto received a pitch from a promising new freelancer, he didn’t expect it to spiral into an obsessive investigation. What followed was a deep dive into a web of fake interviews, impossible bylines, and fake reporting. Dexter talks with Nicholas Hune-Brown to trace how he uncovered an AI journalist and what it reveals about journalism today. 

Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

Read: 

Nick’s articles:
“Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era”  https://thelocal.to/investigating-scam-journalism-ai/ 
“The Fallout From Our AI Freelancer Investigation” https://thelocal.to/fallout-from-ai-freelancer-investigation/ 

The Local’s recent issue, “The Cost of Care” https://thelocal.to/winter-2026/ 

When an editor at a local magazine in Toronto received a pitch from a promising new freelancer, he didn&rsquo;t expect it to spiral into an obsessive investigation. What followed was a deep dive into a web of fake interviews, impossible bylines, and fake reporting. Dexter talks with Nicholas Hune-Brown to trace how he uncovered an AI journalist and what it reveals about journalism today.&nbsp;
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up&nbsp;<a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Read:&nbsp;
Nick&rsquo;s articles:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">&ldquo;Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism&rsquo;s AI Era&rdquo;&nbsp; <a href="https://thelocal.to/investigating-scam-journalism-ai/">https://thelocal.to/investigating-scam-journalism-ai/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">&ldquo;The Fallout From Our AI Freelancer Investigation&rdquo; <a href="https://thelocal.to/fallout-from-ai-freelancer-investigation/">https://thelocal.to/fallout-from-ai-freelancer-investigation/</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
The Local&rsquo;s recent issue, &ldquo;The Cost of Care&rdquo; <a href="https://thelocal.to/winter-2026/">https://thelocal.to/winter-2026/</a>&nbsp;

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host Dexter Thomas answers questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?

kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech – “How to Now” on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more “user-friendly” our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We’re here to help you take back control. And if we can’t… Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

 

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dexdigi/?hl=en">Dexter Thomas</a> answers questions big and small &ndash; like who&rsquo;s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?
kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech &ndash; &ldquo;How to Now&rdquo; on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more &ldquo;user-friendly&rdquo; our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We&rsquo;re here to help you take back control. And if we can&rsquo;t&hellip; Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.
&nbsp;

kill switch

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host Dexter Thomas answers questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?

kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech – “How to Now” on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more “user-friendly” our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We’re here to help you take back control. And if we can’t… Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dexdigi/?hl=en">Dexter Thomas</a> answers questions big and small &ndash; like who&rsquo;s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?
kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech &ndash; &ldquo;How to Now&rdquo; on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more &ldquo;user-friendly&rdquo; our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We&rsquo;re here to help you take back control. And if we can&rsquo;t&hellip; Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

how an editor uncovered an AI journalist

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5e555d14-8e1c-47bf-9b3b-b3df0174cb4e/transcript