Stanley Druckenmiller, a billionaire investor, acknowledged using artificial intelligence to write his viral op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal on Monday, in which he sharply criticized Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary and his former mentee, for interfering in the US bond market.

The editorial attracted widespread media coverage, including from the Guardian, highlighting Druckenmiller's rebuke of Bessent. Some readers questioned the rhetorical style of the piece, suggesting it resembled AI-generated text.

Paul Gigot, the editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal, defended Druckenmiller, stating that the investor did not violate the Journal’s policies by using AI. Gigot emphasized that the key consideration is whether the published content reflects the author's original argument and credibility. "In Stan Druckenmiller’s case, we have had a relationship with him for many years, and nobody can doubt that his op-ed is his genuine opinion," Gigot said.

Druckenmiller further defended his use of AI in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, saying, "At 73 I’m kind of proud of using it. These are my ideas and I’ve been speaking about them for over 15 years, as anyone who knows me knows. Would I prefer that I was a great writer? Yes, but that’s not who I am."

Gigot also noted that AI is a "fact of modern life" that many people use to assist in their work.

Separately, a UC Berkeley math professor faced criticism this month for using AI to edit an op-ed in the San Francisco Standard, which stated the piece reflected the "original analysis" of the authors.

Sources