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Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
How an AI-generated summer reading list exposed exposed a crisis in journalism
A summer reading list for 2025, published in a few US-based newspapers, has become a cautionary tale for journalism and publishing industries in the era of artificial intelligence, portending a crisis of credibility. The Hearst Newspapers-owned content syndication service, King Features, had curated and circulated the reading list in question, which appeared in several prominent regional outlets, including The Chicago Sun-Times and at least one edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The catch? Most of the books didn't exist, and some were falsely attributed to celebrated authors. The listicle recommended 15 books, of which only five were real—the remainder were AI hallucinations. The article, 'The heat index: your guide to the best of summer' listing non-existent books appeared in a special section of the Chicago Sun-Times May 18 (Sunday) edition. Among the fabricated titles were Tidewater Dreams that was touted as Chilean American novelist Isabel Allende's 'first climate fiction novel,' and The Rainmakers, described as a futuristic novel on water scarcity wrongly attributed to Pulitzer Prize-winner Percival Everett. Chicago Sun-Times summer reading list (10 out of 15 books listed are fake) The Chicago Sun-Times published a summer reading list with mostly fictional book titles generated by AI, revealing systemic problems in modern journalism caused by staff cuts and declining support for… — (@shauntrennery) May 22, 2025 Initially published without a byline, the list was later traced to freelance writer Marco Buscaglia, who admitted to using AI tools in compiling the content. In a statement to NPR, Buscaglia took full responsibility: 'Huge mistake on my part and has nothing to do with the Sun-Times. They trust that the content they purchase is accurate and I betrayed that trust. It's on me 100 percent.' In a formal response, the Sun-Times said: 'To our great disappointment, that list was created through the use of an AI tool and recommended books that do not exist,' the paper said. 'We are actively investigating the accuracy of other content in the special section.' While the Sun-Times prides itself on being 'deeply focused on telling the stories of this city,' the paper acknowledged that it supplements local journalism with syndicated content from partners such as King Features. According to their statement, the AI-generated list entered print without editorial review or disclosure of its third-party origin. King Features, for its part, confirmed that the freelance contributor violated its AI policy. 'We are terminating our relationship with this individual,' the syndicate said. 'We regret this incident and are working with the handful of publishing partners who acquired this supplement.' The incident comes at a particularly precarious moment for the Sun-Times, which announced earlier this year that 20% of its staff had accepted buyouts amidst ongoing financial strain. As newsroom resources shrink, publishers increasingly lean on syndicated materials — a trend that has made room for AI-generated fillers to slip through the cracks. 'This should be a learning moment for all journalism organisations,' the Sun-Times wrote. 'Our work is valued — and valuable — because of the humanity behind it.' The backlash among readers and book professionals was immediate. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), a user Maria A Karamitsos, wrote 'Reason #847 why newspapers need real journalists & not AI. AI will out the nail in the coffin for print media for sure. I want human-generated content only! 'How an AI-generated summer reading list got published in major newspapers.' Reason #847 why newspapers need real journalists & not AI. AI will out the nail in the coffin for print media for sure. I want human-generated content only! 'How an AI-generated summer reading list got published in major newspapers' via @nprbooks — Maria A. Karamitsos (@MariaKaramitsos) May 21, 2025 The Sun-Times has since removed the section from its e-paper and announced that subscribers will not be charged for that edition. New editorial safeguards are also being introduced, including internally reviewing all third-party licensed editorial content, labelling third-party features, and a reassessment of its relationships with national content partners. As AI tools become more accessible and media organisations face both technological disruption and economic headwinds, the boundaries of authorship, editorial oversight, and reader trust are being tested.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
How did an AI-generated list of fake books end up in a major newspaper? Do we have to doubt everything we read now?
A recent controversy erupted after the Chicago Sun-Times published a summer reading list filled with several books that, astonishingly, do not exist. The newspaper's 'Best of Summer' section, meant to guide readers toward their next great read, included titles like Tidewater Dreams by Isabel Allende and The Rainmakers by Percival Everett — both entirely fabricated by artificial intelligence (AI). The revelation has sent shockwaves through literary circles and news consumers alike, igniting a broader conversation about trust in modern journalism. Outrage and Online Backlash Subscribers and social media users reacted with disbelief and anger when they discovered that only five out of the fifteen books on the list were genuine. Many took to platforms like Reddit and X, criticizing the Sun-Times for printing what some called 'AI slop' without fact-checking. The incident also sparked a wider debate about newsrooms increasingly relying on AI, often at the expense of human editorial oversight . Critics lamented the decline of traditional journalistic diligence as local copy desks vanish or consolidate, leaving AI to fill the gaps. The CEO Speaks: 'Unacceptable' Mistake In response to the uproar, Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell issued a statement admitting the error was caused by a third-party content partner. The AI-generated list was created by a freelancer contracted by King Features and inserted into the paper without editorial review or any disclosure to readers. Bell emphasized that the incident was 'unacceptable' and highlighted the irreplaceable value of human judgment in journalism. She assured readers that the Sun-Times is reviewing its content policies and will not charge subscribers for the flawed edition. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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The Freelancer's Apology Writer Marco Buscaglia , who took responsibility for the piece, described it as a 'huge mistake' and insisted the Sun-Times was unaware the list was AI-generated. 'They trust the content they purchase is accurate,' he told NPR. 'I betrayed that trust.' King Features severed ties with the freelancer after the incident surfaced. AI Hallucinations and the Danger of Digital Fabrications This episode is a stark reminder of the phenomenon called 'AI hallucination,' where language models invent convincing but false information. The fake books were accompanied by plausible descriptions, making it difficult for readers and even editors to detect the falsehoods. The use of AI-generated content extended beyond the book list: other sections of the special issue included fabricated experts and nonexistent websites, deepening concerns about automated content unchecked by human editors. You Might Also Like: If AI can do most of things, what is 'left for us'? Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia has a candid reality check for the future — tactusgramen (@tactusgramen) Trust in Media in the Age of AI The Chicago Sun-Times' blunder raises critical questions: How much of what we read is genuine? Can we trust news outlets as AI tools become more prevalent? The incident exposes the thin line between efficiency and accuracy, and the danger of outsourcing editorial responsibility to machines or third parties without transparency. The Road Ahead While the Sun-Times has promised to tighten editorial oversight and remove the flawed section from digital editions, the episode serves as a cautionary tale for the entire journalism industry. The value of human expertise, critical thinking, and accountability remains paramount even as AI technology reshapes content creation. Readers and newsrooms alike must navigate this new reality carefully—because when AI blurs the line between fact and fiction, our very trust in the written word is at stake. You Might Also Like: Not AI. A Bengaluru techie, working from home, fears losing his job due to power cuts in the city Bengaluru techie's AI fears collide with home loan dreams. Is buying a house in India's IT capital still worth it?
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
CEO breaks silence after Chicago Sun-Times shares AI-generated list of fake books: 'Unacceptable'
The CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times issued a clarification after the newspaper published a reading list over the weekend that was partially generated by artificial intelligence and featured made-up books by famous authors. The list, which was part of their 'Best of Summer' summer reading section, contained only five titles out of a total of fifteen, which were actual books; the rest were dreamed up by AI. The summer book guide featured a made-up book titled Tidewater Dreams by Chilean-American novelist Isabel Allende, calling it the author's "first climate fiction novel." It also listed The Rainmakers, a book supposedly written by 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner Percival Everett. The list triggered outrage from Chicago Sun-Times subscribers who were shocked to see the fake book list printed prominently on the newspaper, without any verification by the editorial department. "Really incredible that a prominent paper in the third-largest city in the United States is shamelessly reprinting AI slop instead of asking a staffer to recommend a few books," said one Reddit user. Another angry user took to X and wrote, "A news outlet not checking their sources or their facts. And you question why no one takes you seriously." Others called out the increasing dependency on AI, even in newsrooms. "This is the inevitable outcome of decades of either eradicating local copy desks or consolidating them into national "hubs," then assuming AI can pick up the slack," said one of them. Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell clarified on behalf of the newspaper. She explained that the list was generated by King Features, a content partner who employed a freelancer to create it. "It was inserted into our paper without review from our editorial team, and we presented the section without any acknowledgement that it was from a third-party organization. This should be a learning moment for all journalism organizations: Our work is valued — and valuable — because of the humanity behind it. It is unacceptable that this content was inaccurate, and it is equally unacceptable that we did not make it clear to readers that the section was produced outside the Sun-Times newsroom," she said, in a statement. She added that the newspaper is working on improving its content policies and will not charge subscribers for the edition. King Features stated that it had terminated its relationship with the freelancer who created the list using AI without disclosing it. Even though the list appeared without a byline, writer Marco Buscaglia claimed responsibility for it. In an email to NPR, he said, "Huge mistake on my part and has nothing to do with the Sun-Times. They trust that the content they purchase is accurate and I betrayed that trust. It's on me 100 per cent."
