AI blunder: US newspaper's summer book list recommends non-existent books
US content distributor King Features says it has fired a writer who used artificial intelligence to produce a story on summer reading suggestions that contained books that didn't exist.
The list appeared in 'Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer," a special section distributed in Sunday's Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer last week.
More than half of the books listed were fake, according to the piece's author, Marco Buscaglia, who admitted to using AI for help in his research but didn't double-check what it produced.
'A really stupid error on my part,' Buscaglia wrote on his Facebook page. 'I'm not really sure I bounce back from this situation career-wise,' he added. 'I have a lot of stories left in me but I am fully accountable for what happened and will have to endure the effects, whatever they may be.'
Among the summer reading suggestions was 'The Last Algorithm' by Andy Weir, described as 'a science-driven thriller following a programmer who discovers an AI system has developed consciousness' and been secretly influencing world events.
Elsewhere, 'Nightshade Market' by Min Jin Lee was said to be a 'riveting tale set in Seoul's underground economy.'
Both authors are real, but the books aren't.
'I have not written and will not be writing a novel called 'Nightshade Market,'' Lee posted on X.
The syndicators King Features said in a statement: 'The Heat Index summer supplement was created by a freelance contract creator who used AI in its story development without disclosing the use of AI.'
They noted they have a strict policy against using AI to create material. Only the Sun-Times and Inquirer have used the supplement, the organization added.
'We are in a moment of great transformation in journalism and technology, and at the same time our industry continues to be besieged by business challenges," the newspaper said. 'This should be a learning moment for all journalism organizations: Our work is valued - and valuable - because of the humanity behind it.'
Both the Sun-Times and Inquirer said they have removed the supplement from its digital editions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNET
11 minutes ago
- CNET
EcoFlow Has Slashed Prices by Up to 55% Ahead of Father's Day
If you enjoy summer travel, outdoor adventures, or live in an area where the weather can disrupt the power supply, a portable power station or power bank is the perfect way to ensure your devices stay charged. Today's power stations and power banks are more compact and lightweight than ever, making them even easier to transport for almost everyone. Right now, EcoFlow is offering multiple deals that can help you save on various devices, with savings of up to 55% when you purchase directly from their website. Amazon also has several EcoFlow deals, just be aware that their offers might vary. EcoFlow's disaster preparedness deals are live until June 8 and include bundles that can power larger appliances and even medical devices for a long time, as well as solar panels to charge the included power station. The EcoFlow Delta 3 bundle features the power station and a 220W solar panel, all for $999. If only the power station is needed, you can get it for just $699 and save $100 over its original asking price. Other bundle options include the EcoFlow Delta 2 portable power station and a 500-watt solar panel for $1,499, a total of $1,200 in savings. This power station has a 6144Wh capacity that can power devices inside your home as needed. It's also built to efficiently store solar energy that the panel converts to stay charged even in the most trying conditions. EcoFlow has also partnered with Costco to offer the River 3 Plus combo, which includes two power banks, for just $279. The portable power station has a 286Wh capacity suitable for camping needs, and the bundle comes with a 15W wireless power bank and a 30W cable power bank. EcoFlow is also running a Father's Day and summer travel sale from June 9 until June 15. We'll keep you updated when the deals are live for more opportunities to save. To take better advantage of these deals, check out our article that explains how to choose the best portable power station for your needs. Why this deal matters EcoFlow is behind some of our favorite portable power stations, and their solar panels only add value -- ensuring that you can keep them charged, even when there's no outlet. The brand is offering several deals via its own website, in partnership with Costco, and through its official Amazon storefront. Keep in mind that some deals expire on June 8, and others start on June 9 and end on June 15 if you purchase through EcoFlow's website. Still, now is the perfect opportunity to purchase a portable power station, as there are options for many budgets.
Business Wire
12 minutes ago
- Business Wire
Angel or Adversary: Deep Instinct Research Highlights the Double-Edged Sword of AI in Cybersecurity
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Deep Instinct, the preemptive data security company built on the first and only AI-based deep learning framework for cybersecurity, today released the sixth edition of its Voice of SecOps Report, which delves into the growing influence of AI in business, with a focus on its impact on Security Operations (SecOps). While AI adoption is accelerating, the findings uncover a more complex reality: security teams are limited by knowledge gaps, inconsistent implementation, and mounting operational pressures as they face an increasingly treacherous, AI-driven threat landscape. The research, ' Cybersecurity & AI: Promises, Pitfalls – and Prevention Paradise,' found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of organizations have revised their cybersecurity strategies over the past year due to AI, and a whopping 86% have increased their use of AI within SecOps. Despite the investments, two-thirds of respondents were confused about fundamental AI definitions, with 38% unable to differentiate between machine learning and deep learning – signaling an alarming knowledge gap in the industry. Additional key findings from the report include the following: AI-Powered Cyber Threats Drive a Focus on Prevention As cybercriminals build and adopt AI tools, the nature and scale of attacks have drastically evolved and expanded. Nearly half (46%) of organizations experienced an uptick in targeted phishing attacks, while 43% reported deepfake impersonation attempts. Attacks on local or cloud storage were also a growing concern, cited as a top risk by 83% of respondents, second only to phishing (84%). In response to these AI-powered attacks, 82% of organizations say they have shifted toward a prevention-first security strategy, with 64% noting a direct push from the C-suite to adopt more proactive defense measures. Benefits of AI in Cybersecurity Roles Are Clear, Yet It Unexpectedly Contributes to Burnout SecOps teams appear to be reaping the benefits of AI, with 76% stating it makes their roles easier while saving security teams an average of 12 hours per week on manual processes. However, while GenAI may be simplifying some aspects of SecOps workloads, nearly 70% of security professionals believe AI also contributes to burnout. Regulatory complexity adds another layer of strain, with 32% citing difficulties in keeping up with increasing AI-related policies, and an additional 37% fearing AI-related regulations are a financial penalty waiting to happen. Preemptive Data Security: The New Imperative In the face of mounting threats, operational burnout, and AI confusion, preemptive data security – a subset of Gartner's recently introduced preemptive cybersecurity market category – offers a definitive path forward. By harnessing the power of deep learning to prevent threats before they execute, organizations will reduce risk, ease the burden on SecOps teams, and stay ahead of relentless adversaries. 'The traditional 'detect and respond' cybersecurity model is broken – it's reactive, expensive, and no match for AI-powered threats,' said Lane Bess, CEO of Deep Instinct. 'To win this fight, cybersecurity teams must shift from chasing threats to preventing them. Preemptive data security – powered by deep learning, the most advanced form of AI – is the only way for SecOps teams to regain control and stay ahead of adversaries.' To get the full report and download past Voice of SecOps reports, please visit s. Then register for our webinar, Cybersecurity & AI: Promises, Pitfalls – and Prevention Paradise (2025 Voice of SecOps Research), to learn about the top findings from this year's report. Survey Methodology Sapio Research surveyed 500 senior cybersecurity experts from companies with 1000+ employees in the U.S. The interviews were conducted online in April 2025 using an email invitation and an online survey. Respondents worked at organizations that operated in either financial services, technology, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, public sector, or critical infrastructure (such as telecoms, energy, utilities, and transportation). For this specific report, the C-suite is defined as those who hold chief, global, head of department, or director roles, while reports are those who hold a manager, administrator, analyst, team lead, or officer role. About Deep Instinct Deep Instinct, the first and only preemptive data security company built on a deep learning cybersecurity framework, prevents unknown threats in <20 milliseconds, 750X faster than the fastest ransomware can encrypt. Deep Instinct Data Security X (DSX) secures data at-rest or in-motion – across cloud, NAS, applications, and endpoints. DSX Brain, Deep Instinct's deep learning framework, prevents zero-day threats that no one else can find, with >99% accuracy and a <0.1% false positive rate. DIANNA, the DSX Companion, leverages GenAI to provide unparalleled explainability into unknown threats in <10 seconds. For more, visit
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
ETFs to Bet On as NVIDIA Reclaims Market Cap Crown
NVIDIA NVDA reclaimed the position of the world's most valuable company, boasting a market capitalization of $3.45 trillion. The AI darling surpassed Microsoft MSFT, after a meteoric run driven by unrelenting demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) hardware. The milestone isn't just a symbolic victory. It signals a deeper shift in how investors are valuing the future of technology, placing AI infrastructure at the very core (read: NVIDIA Reclaims $3 Trillion: ETFs to Bet On). Since bottoming at just over $94 in early April, NVIDIA stock has soared nearly 50%, adding over $1 trillion in market cap in less than two months. That rally was supercharged by robust first-quarter earnings, continued strength in AI chip demand and major expansion with U.S. export restrictions limiting sales to China, NVIDIA has managed to accelerate delivery of its cutting-edge Blackwell AI servers to core customers like Microsoft and other hyperscalers. This is not just resilience, it's strategic dominance. Though the AI darling lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate, it reported record-breaking revenues largely driven by a booming data center business and incredible demand for its latest AI chips. Data Center revenues, which account for much of NVIDIA's revenues, jumped 73% year over year to $39.1 billion (read: ETFs to Buy After NVIDIA's Q1 Earnings Miss, Record Revenues). The demand for NVIDIA's AI chips, especially for large cloud providers and AI supercomputing, continues to surge. NVIDIA is building factories in the United States and working with its partners to produce AI supercomputers. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said, "Countries around the world are recognizing AI as essential infrastructure – just like electricity and the internet – and NVIDIA stands at the center of this profound transformation." Its chief financial officer, Colette Kress, said that Microsoft has 'deployed tens of thousands of Blackwell GPUs and is expected to ramp to hundreds of thousands' of the company's GB200 product, due largely to its partnership with OpenAI. NVIDIA is also accelerating its global expansion. It recently announced plans to build AI factories in the United States and Saudi Arabia and launched the Stargate UAE AI infrastructure cluster in Abu Dhabi. Furthermore, NVIDIA has expanded collaborations with major cloud providers, including Oracle, Google, and Microsoft. Its Blackwell-based cloud instances are now available on AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud Jensen Huang revealed the company is considering the development of a new AI chip designed specifically for the Chinese market. The move comes in response to expanded U.S. government export controls that have effectively blocked the sale of NVIDIA's H20 chips — part of its high-performance Hopper series — to China. With the massive gains, NVIDIA is back in positive territory for the year, gaining 5%. The stock is currently trading at a P/E ratio of 32.40, slightly lower than 32.80 for the Semiconductor - General industry. Analysts remain optimistic about the chipmaker's growth prospects, citing strong demand for AI chips and strategic international partnerships. Further, the stock is currently trading at a PEG ratio of 1.15, much lower than the industry average of 2.18. The lower the PEG ratio, the better the value, as investors would pay less for each unit of earnings. While there are many ETFs in the space that could capitalize on the solid growth of NVIDIA, we have highlighted those that have the largest allocation to the AI chipmaker. Strive U.S. Semiconductor ETF (SHOC) – NVIDIA exposure: 23.3%VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) – NVIDIA exposure: 21.5%VanEck Fabless Semiconductor ETF (SMHX) - NVIDIA exposure: 21.2%YieldMax Target 12 Semiconductor Option Income ETF (SOXY) - NVIDIA exposure: 19.8%Columbia Select Technology ETF (SEMI) - NVIDIA exposure: 17.6% Risk-aggressive investors could bet on single-stock ETFs with 200% exposure to NVIDIA. These include the T-REX 2X Long NVIDIA Daily Target ETF NVDX and the GraniteShares 2x Long NVDA Daily ETF NVDL (read: Guide to the 10 Most Popular Leveraged ETFs). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
