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Submission + - AI generated summer reading list printed in newspapers with nonexistant books (thestar.com)

Submitted by doconnor
doconnor writes: The list, published as part of a “summer guide” insert in the Chicago Sun-Times on May 18 and the Philadelphia Inquirer on May 15, included 15 recommended novels, “new and old,” that promised to “deliver the perfect summer escape.” People on social media were quick to point out that 10 of the entries were novels that do not exist. In an interview with 404media, Buscaglia said that he was “completely embarrassed” by the errors and takes full responsibility. “I can’t believe I missed it because it’s so obvious,” he said. “No excuses.” Buscaglia said that he uses AI “for background at times,” but always double checks the material.

Submission + - Chicago Sun-Times Prints Summer Reading List Full of Fake Books (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: On Sunday, the Chicago Sun-Times published an advertorial summer reading list containing at least 10 fake books attributed to real authors, according to multiple reports on social media. The newspaper's uncredited "Summer reading list for 2025" supplement recommended titles including "Tidewater Dreams" by Isabel Allende and "The Last Algorithm" by Andy Weir—books that don't exist and were created out of thin air by an AI system. The creator of the list, Marco Buscaglia, confirmed to 404 Media that he used AI to generate the content. "I do use AI for background at times but always check out the material first. This time, I did not and I can't believe I missed it because it's so obvious. No excuses," Buscaglia said. "On me 100 percent and I'm completely embarrassed."

A check by Ars Technica shows that only five of the fifteen recommended books in the list actually exist, with the remainder being fabricated titles falsely attributed to well-known authors. [...] On Tuesday morning, the Chicago Sun-Times addressed the controversy on Bluesky. "We are looking into how this made it into print as we speak," the official publication account wrote. "It is not editorial content and was not created by, or approved by, the Sun-Times newsroom. We value your trust in our reporting and take this very seriously. More info will be provided soon." In the supplement, the books listed by authors Isabel Allende, Andy Weir, Brit Bennett, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Min Jin Lee, Percival Everett, Delia Owens, Rumaan Alam, Rebecca Makkai, and Maggie O’Farrell are confabulated, while books listed by authors Françoise Sagan, Ray Bradbury, Jess Walter, André Aciman, and Ian McEwan are real. All of the authors are real people.

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