The Authenticity Crisis of AIGC News Content Ontology: A Media Culture Critique Based on Baudrillard’s Simulacra Theory

Abstract

With the increasing application of automated news writing and digital anchors in journalism, AIGC (Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content) has become highly realistic in form and increasingly conforms to the linguistic norms of traditional news. However, AIGC news often suffers from ambiguous sources and insufficient factual support, leading to a crisis of authenticity. Drawing on Baudrillard’s theory of simulacra, this paper systematically analyzes the manifestations of the authenticity crisis in AIGC news at the levels of content generation, expressive form, and audience perception, revealing its impact on the ontological logic of news content. The study argues that AIGC drives a shift in news authenticity from a “logic of facts” to a “logic of perception.” Its high imitation of traditional news styles in language, layout, and headline structure creates a hyperreal illusion, blurring the standards of authenticity and forcing audiences into a state of “non-judgmental reading,” thereby deepening the public’s cognitive crisis. This paper aims to provide a critical perspective for the development and theoretical study of AIGC news.