We're kind of on the edge of this with algorithmically-optimised clickbait headlines. There's still a human in the loop at the moment, but the more metrics-driven the process is the more likely parts of it are to be automated.
That's actually a nice idea for a satire (and what can be more satirical than real life?). Do you know of any artificial headline generators? If not, it's high time we built one. I bet we could make cartloads of money with it.
