Latest news with #booklist
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Chicago paper publishes AI-generated 'summer reading list' with books that don't exist
The Chicago Sun-Times admitted on Tuesday that it published an AI-generated list of books that don't exist for its summer reading list. On Sunday, the publication released a special 64-page section titled "Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer" which featured a list of 15 recommended books for summer. However, upon further look, it was found that 10 of the 15 books on the list were not real. One example included a book called "Nightshade Market" by Min Jin Lee, which was described as a "riveting tale set in Seoul's underground economy" and follows "three women whose paths intersect in an illegal night market" exploring "class, gender and the shadow economies beneath prosperous societies." Lee herself confirmed on her X account on Tuesday that the book was not real. "I have not written and will not be writing a novel called 'Nightshade Market.' Thank you," Lee wrote. Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell remarked on the situation in an article on Tuesday, revealing that the mistake came from a freelance writer from one of their partner companies, King Features. Bell acknowledged that the list was published without review from the editorial team. "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," Bell wrote. "This should be a learning moment for all journalism organizations: Our work is valued — and valuable — because of the humanity behind it." Moving forward, Bell announced that the paper will be reviewing its relationship with content partners like King Features, updating its policies for third-party content and explicitly identifying third-party content in its publications. The Chicago Sun-Times also removed the section from its e-paper version and confirmed that it would not charge subscribers who bought the premium edition. "We are committed to making sure this never happens again. We know that there is work to be done to provide more answers and transparency around the production and publication of this section, and will share additional updates in the coming days," Bell said. In another report for the Chicago Sun-Times, the freelance writer was identified as Marco Buscaglia, who confirmed that he used AI for this and other stories without disclosing it to supervisors or fully vetting the results. King Features later added that it was "terminating" its relationship with Buscaglia, saying that he had violated strict policy regarding the use of AI. In an additional statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Chicago Public Media marketing director Victor Lim said, "Regarding Chicago Public Media's usage of generative AI, we are committed to producing journalism that is accurate, ethical, and deeply human. While GAI may assist with certain tasks—like summarizing documents or analyzing data—our editorial content will always be created and shaped by journalists."
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A.I.-Generated Reading List in Chicago Sun-Times Recommends Nonexistent Books
The summer reading list tucked into a special section of The Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer seemed innocuous enough. There were books by beloved authors such as Isabel Allende and Min Jin Lee; novels by best sellers including Delia Owens, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Brit Bennett; and a novel by Percival Everett, a recent Pulitzer Prize winner. There was just one issue: None of the book titles attributed to the above authors were real. They had been created by generative artificial intelligence. It's the latest case of bad A.I. making its way into the news. While generative A.I. has improved, there is still no way to ensure the systems produce accurate information. A.I. chatbots cannot distinguish between what is true and what is false, and they often make things up. The chatbots can spit out information and expert names with an air of authority. Most of the book descriptions were fairly believable. It didn't seem out of reach that Ms. Bennett would 'explore family bonds tested by natural disasters,' or that Ms. Allende would pen another 'multigenerational saga.' The technology publication 404 Media reported earlier on the reading list. In addition to nonexistent book titles, the section included quotes from unidentifiable experts. Both The Sun-Times and The Inquirer issued statements condemning the use of A.I. and in part blamed King Features, a Hearst syndicate that licenses content nationally. The syndicate produced the 56-page supplement to the newspaper called 'Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer,' which also included things like summer food trends and activity recommendations. While the list did not have a byline, a freelancer named Marco Buscaglia took responsibility for piece. He confirmed that the list was partially generated by artificial intelligence, most likely Claude. 'It was just a really bad error on my part and I feel bad that it has affected The Sun-Times and King Features, and that they are taking the shrapnel for it,' Mr. Buscaglia said in an interview. It's fairly common for media organizations, especially resource-strapped local newsrooms, to rely on syndicates to supplement coverage. Just two months ago, 20 percent of staff at The Sun-Times resigned as part of a buyout offer. On the newspaper's homepage on Wednesday, there were two banners atop the website. One linked to the statement on the May 18 special section, and the other linked to a piece on how federal cuts threaten local journalism. Felix M. Simon, a research fellow in A.I. and digital news at the Reuters Institute at Oxford University, said the technology was not entirely at fault. There are responsible and irresponsible ways to use A.I. for news gathering, he said. 'We need better education for everyone from the freelancer level to the executive level,' Dr. Simon said, calling on people to look 'at the structures that ultimately allowed this factually false article to appear in a reputable news outlet.' The special section was removed from The Inquirer's website when it was discovered, according to Lisa Hughes, the publisher and chief executive of the paper. The section was also removed from The Sun-Times's e-paper version, according to a statement, and subscribers would not be charged for the premium edition. King Features did not respond to requests for comment, but in a statement provided to The Sun-Times said it had 'a strict policy with our staff, cartoonists, columnists, and freelance writers against the use of A.I. to create content.' In their statement, The Sun-Times said that the incident should be a 'learning moment.' 'Our work is valued — and valuable — because of the humanity behind it,' the statement read.
