Major Shake-Up at Sports Illustrated: CEO Terminated Amid AI Controversy
Sports Illustrated publisher terminates CEO following an AI mishap, leading to a major shakeup in the C-suite, as confirmed by a spokesperson The Arena Group, renowned for its brands including Sports Illustrated and The Street, takes swift action
The Arena Group, a digital publisher behind major brands like Sports Illustrated and The Street, removed its chief executive on Monday as part of a larger C-suite shakeup, a company spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
The spokesperson declined to provide additional details about the departure of Ross Levinsohn, who had been serving as chief executive for three years. However, the decision followed a highly publicized incident in which Sports Illustrated was found to have published articles with fictitious author names and AI-generated profile photos.
Levinsohn was immediately replaced by interim chief executive Manoj Bhargava, the founder of 5-Hour Energy who owns a majority stake in The Arena Group, according to Vince Bodiford, a spokesperson for Bhargava.
Levinsohn's departure comes shortly after The Arena Group terminated three of its top executives: operations president and chief operating officer Andrew Kraft, media president Rob Barrett, and corporate counsel Julie Fenster.
"All media brands, including Sports Illustrated, will maintain their current management of specific areas, while the company will focus on overseeing overall operations and enhancing the overall business," Bodiford informed CNN.
When asked if the changes were related to allegations about Sports Illustrated using AI to write articles, Bodiford stated, "we have no additional comments to make beyond the company's previous statements regarding A.I."
