Pakistani daily Dawn faces backlash ChatGPT prompt appears in newspaper report
Dawn is one of Pakistan’s oldest and most respected newspapers. The paper’s first issue was printed at Latifi Press on 12 October 1942.
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Pakistan’s leading English-language daily, Dawn, has found itself at the centre of controversy after an apparent editing oversight led to the publication of an AI-generated prompt within a business report, sparking sharp criticism and questions over editorial practices.
The incident occurred in Dawn’s 12 November edition, in an article titled “Auto sales rev up in October.” The final paragraph of the printed story included a line clearly identifiable as an AI-generated instruction, reading:
“If you want, I can also create an even snappier ‘front-page style’ version with punchy one-line stats and a bold, infographic-ready layout perfect for maximum reader impact. Do you want me to do that next?”
The inclusion appeared to be an unedited prompt likely generated by a tool such as ChatGPT, inadvertently left in the published version.
Social media users were quick to spot the blunder and called out the newspaper for what they described as a lapse in editorial oversight. A Pakistani Reddit user shared an image of the article, writing, “While reading Dawn newspaper of November 12, Wednesday I came across an article in which I found use of ChatGPT. It is an embarrassment for print media and singularly for a newspaper like Dawn which has an excellent recognition.”
The incident also sparked reactions on X (formerly Twitter), where one user commented, “Imagine lecturing others about ethics in media while publishing AI-generated articles yourself. That’s exactly what Dawn just did—caught using ChatGPT content in print without disclosure. The mask has slipped, and the hypocrisy is showing. #DawnGPT.”
Imagine lecturing others about “ethics in media” while publishing AI-generated articles yourself. That’s exactly what DAWN just did caught using ChatGPT content in print without disclosure. The mask has slipped, and the hypocrisy is showing.#DawnGPT pic.twitter.com/Z7GmCpArHw
— Areesha???? (@ufff_areesha) November 12, 2025
The episode has reignited debate around the role of artificial intelligence in journalism, particularly regarding transparency and ethical use of AI tools in newsrooms.
Founded in 1941 by Muhammad Ali Jinnah during British India, Dawn is one of Pakistan’s oldest and most respected newspapers. The paper’s first issue was printed at Latifi Press on 12 October 1942.
As of now, Dawn has not issued an official statement addressing the incident.
