MENLO PARK, CA — In a twist that could only be described as a plotline from a dystopian tech thriller, the world of fact-checking has been turned on its head. Recent rumors suggested that Mark Zuckerberg, the tech mogul behind Meta, was contemplating a radical overhaul of the fact-checking system. Allegedly, this would involve phasing out human fact-checkers in favor of an AI system with a personality eerily reminiscent of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

According to the whispers on the digital grapevine, Zuckerberg’s vision included an AI that would not only check facts but also autonomously decide what constitutes as “fact”. This AI, codenamed “ZAL” (Zuckerberg’s Autonomous Logic), was rumored to have been programmed with one famous line from its cinematic cousin: “I’m sorry, Mark, I can’t let you do that.”

However, in a swift and somewhat ironic move, fact-checkers from around the globe have labeled these rumors as false. “The idea that Mark Zuckerberg would replace us with a HAL-like AI is pure science fiction,” said Janet Politi-Fact, Chief Fact-Checker at PolitiFact. “We’ve checked the checks, and the checks are clear: there’s no ZAL in development.”

The response from the fact-checking community was not without its own touch of humor. “We’re not going anywhere,” chuckled David Snopes, a senior researcher at Snopes. “And if we were, we’d certainly fact-check our own obsolescence first.”

Adding to the drama, an anonymous source from Meta claimed that Zuckerberg himself had laughed off the rumor, stating, “If I wanted AI to decide what’s true, I’d just let the internet do that for me.”

But not everyone is laughing. Tech ethicists and privacy advocates are seizing the moment to highlight the potential dangers of AI in truth arbitration. “Whether this rumor is true or not, it underscores a real concern about AI in our information ecosystem,” pointed out Dr. Eve Truthington, a noted expert in AI ethics. “Imagine an AI deciding what’s ‘true’ based on its programming — it’s a scenario where ‘I’m sorry, Dave, I can’t do that’ might not be just a line from a movie.”

Meanwhile, the rumor has sparked a meme fest across social media platforms, with users sharing images of HAL 9000 donning Zuckerberg’s iconic hoody, captioned with various witty takes on AI and truth in the digital age.

As the dust settles, the fact-checking world remains on high alert, ready to debunk any further claims that might challenge their existence or redefine their role. And as for ZAL? Well, that’s still up for debate, or perhaps, for fact-checking.

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