ToplineThe Wall Street Journal defended publishing an AI generated op-ed written by hedge fund billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller criticizing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's bond buyback expansion, hours after Druckenmiller admitted his letter was written with artificial intelligence.Stanley Druckenmiller, chairman and chief executive officer of Duquesne Family Office, during the Bloomberg Invest event in New York, US, on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.Jeenah Moon/BloombergKey FactsDruckenmiller, who once worked with Bessent under George Soros, said Bessent’s policy to double the maximum size of government bond repurchases to $4 billion per operation was "price management — and a mistake.”The billionaire’s op-ed sparked criticism from social media users who accused it of being AI-generated, citing an AI-detection tool called Pangram that called the letter 100% artificial intelligence.Druckenmiller told NOTUS “of course I used AI,” adding, “I'm not embarrassed by it … I write everything using AI now for the same reason I use a calculator when I do math problems.”Paul Gigot, an opinion editor with the Journal, said in a statement emailed to Forbes that the Journal considers whether “what we publish from contributors reflects an author’s original argument, and if the author has the standing and credibility to make it,” calling AI “a fact of modern life.”Gigot noted the Journal’s long-time relationship with Druckenmiller, who has written multiple op-eds for the news outlet, adding, “nobody can doubt that his op-ed is his genuine opinion.”The Wall Street Journal’s AI PolicyIt is unclear whether the Wall Street Journal has official policies on AI-assisted submissions from outside contributors, though Druckenmiller’s op-ed suggests the news outlet accepts AI generated content as long as it comes from a credible source whose submitted content aligns with their original argument. The Journal says it uses AI for “complex data-driven investigations, to summarize articles, to translate some content into local languages and to power website features,” noting, “Work that includes AI inputs is reviewed by a journalist before publishing.” WHAT DID DRUCKENMILLER’S OP-ED SAY?Druckenmiller compared the buyback expansion to a "credible fiscal package," writing, "Governments defending prices against fundamentals always lose." Bessent’s expansion was announced on Aug. 19 and triggered a slump in yields on long-dated bonds, which returned to their original levels the following afternoon—movement Druckenmiller cited as the market’s swift rejection of the policy.Forbes ValuationWe estimate Druckenmiller’s net worth at $7.8 billion as of Tuesday, a fortune that has grown 66% since 2020.Key BackgroundDruckenmiller worked with Bessent in the 1990s at Soros Fund Management and has been characterized as the treasury secretary’s “former mentor.” The Treasury Department cited “consistent strong sponsorship from market participants” as the reason for expanding buybacks, though Druckenmiller has instead argued such sponsorship “is the definition of a healthy market.” The Treasury Department will ramp up purchases of older securities beginning Sept. 10 in an effort to increase demand for long-duration bonds and decrease yields. Druckenmiller believes high yields act as a natural warning sign for high debt and rising budget deficits.