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The Chicago Sun-Times has come under fire after publishing a summer reading list in its print edition that included several books that don't exist. The article, titled "Summer reading list for 2025," featured a mix of real and AI-generated book titles, making it difficult for readers to distinguish between fact and fiction. Titles like "Tidewater Dreams" by Isabel Allende and "The Last Algorithm" by Andy Weir were included in the list, despite these books not being actual works by the authors. The newspaper confirmed that AI was used in creating the reading list, with a freelancer admitting to using AI for background information but failing to fact-check the final product.
The incident has sparked criticism and embarrassment for the Chicago Sun-Times. The writer responsible for the list has taken full responsibility, stating, "On me 100 percent and I'm completely embarrassed." The Sun-Times Guild expressed horror at the situation and called on Chicago Public Media management to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The newspaper has stated, "We understand this is unacceptable for us to distribute," and is updating its policy to require internal editorial oversight of syndicated content.
Further investigation revealed that the "Heat Index" summer guide, containing the AI-generated reading list, was licensed from King Features, a unit of Hearst. Victor Lim, the vice president of marketing and communications at Chicago Public Media, explained that the Sun-Times historically did not review such newspaper inserts, assuming an editorial process was already in place. The incident highlights the dangers of relying on AI without proper human oversight and fact-checking, raising concerns about the increasing use of AI in journalism and the potential for spreading misinformation.
References :
The incident has sparked criticism and embarrassment for the Chicago Sun-Times. The writer responsible for the list has taken full responsibility, stating, "On me 100 percent and I'm completely embarrassed." The Sun-Times Guild expressed horror at the situation and called on Chicago Public Media management to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The newspaper has stated, "We understand this is unacceptable for us to distribute," and is updating its policy to require internal editorial oversight of syndicated content.
Further investigation revealed that the "Heat Index" summer guide, containing the AI-generated reading list, was licensed from King Features, a unit of Hearst. Victor Lim, the vice president of marketing and communications at Chicago Public Media, explained that the Sun-Times historically did not review such newspaper inserts, assuming an editorial process was already in place. The incident highlights the dangers of relying on AI without proper human oversight and fact-checking, raising concerns about the increasing use of AI in journalism and the potential for spreading misinformation.
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References :
- PCMag Middle East ai: Chicago, Philadelphia Newspapers Publish Reading List With Fake, AI-Generated Books
- mobinetai.com: Chicago Newspaper Printed Hallucinated Article Recommending Books That Don’t Exist
- B ? R ? A I ? N: Viral AI-Generated Summer Guide Printed by Chicago Sun-Times Was Made by Magazine Giant Hearst
- www.theguardian.com: Chicago Sun-Times accused of using AI to create reading list of books that don’t exist
- futurism.com: Chicago Newspaper Caught Publishing a “Summer Reads†Guide Full of AI Slop
- mobinetai.com: Chicago Newspaper Printed Hallucinated Article Recommending Books That Don’t Exist
- www.404media.co: Chicago Sun-Times prints AI-generated summer reading list with books that don't exist
- Simon Willison's Weblog: Chicago Sun-Times Prints AI-Generated Summer Reading List With Books That Don't Exist
- www.eweek.com: Summer Reading Picks That Don’t Exist: Chicago Sun-Times Apologises For Promoting Fake Books
- Ars OpenForum: Newspaper gets caught using AI to recommend summer reading books that don't exist