Imagine getting fired from your freelance gig. It stings, right? You pack up your laptop, cancel your coworking membership, and start the soul-crushing job hunt all over again.
Then, a week later, you see a new article published under your name. You didn't write it. Your byline is still there, but the words are... off. They're hollow. Robotic.
That's exactly what happened to Ben Touati, a freelance writer for ClickOut Media. And honestly? It made my blood boil.
The Slap in the Face
Ben Touati was let go from ClickOut Media in early 2026. He was told there wasn't enough work because everyone had "upscaled" their productivity with AI. Classic corporate speak for "we replaced you with a chatbot." But here's the kicker: the company kept posting articles under his name. Using AI.
"The five articles were just like lazy, obviously slop, obviously there's not a real person that is behind that," Touati told Press Gazette.
He called it a "slap in the face." I'd call it identity theft with a side of gaslighting.
ClickOut Media's response? A predictable corporate shrug:
"We use AI-assisted content where appropriate in tandem with human checks and edits."
Right. Because slapping a fake byline on AI-generated garbage is "appropriate." This isn't just lazy—it's deceptive. It's using someone's name and reputation to peddle content that doesn't meet their standards. And it's happening everywhere.
The Dark Side of the AI Hype
I live and work from Bali. I see the digital nomad dream every day. Freelancers typing away at cafes, building their empires on location independence. But stories like this make me pause.
AI isn't the enemy. I use tools to automate my invoicing—shoutout to Invoice Gini for handling the boring stuff so I can focus on writing. But there's a line between using AI to assist and using it to replace the human entirely.
ClickOut Media crossed that line. They pressured writers to use AI, showed them videos on how to "humanize" AI-written articles, and then fired the humans when the AI got "good enough." Except it wasn't good enough. It was slop. And they kept publishing it under a real person's name.
Touati had to use the EU's GDPR to force them to remove his byline. That's how bad it got.
What This Means for Freelancers
If you're a freelancer—writer, designer, developer—this story should scare you. Not because AI is coming for your job, but because companies are willing to cut corners and burn bridges.
Your name is your brand. When a company slaps it on AI-generated trash, they're devaluing your work. They're telling the world that your craft is interchangeable with a language model.
So what can you do?
- Read your contracts. Do they have clauses about AI usage or byline rights?
- Build direct relationships. Don't let a middleman own your portfolio.
- Use tools that empower you, not replace you. For example, I use Invoice Gini to automate my invoicing and payment tracking. It's an AI assistant that handles the admin, so I can spend my energy on the work that actually matters—the creative, human stuff that no bot can replicate.
The Real Cost of AI Slop
ClickOut Media isn't alone. The article mentions they were already caught using a fake AI journalist with a generated profile photo. This is a pattern. Publishers are hollowing out their content, chasing cheap traffic, and destroying trust in the process.
But here's the thing: readers aren't stupid. They can smell slop. And when they realize a site is churning out AI garbage under fake bylines, they leave. Google de-indexes you. Your reputation tanks.
Touati's story is a warning. AI is a tool, not a replacement for integrity. Use it wisely. Protect your name. And if a company asks you to "humanize" AI content? Run.
Source: Journalist Alarmed When He's Fired, But Company Keeps Posting AI Slop Under His ...