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Summer Reads That Don’t Exist: How AI Crafted a Fake Book List

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NEW YORK (AP) — The suggested reading list included some works of fiction. It also featured several pieces that were indeed entirely imaginary.

King Features, the content distributor, states that they have terminated a writer for using artificial intelligence to generate a summer reading list featuring nonexistent books.

This list was featured in “Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer,” a special section that was distributed in Sunday’s editions of both the Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer the previous week.

Over half of the books mentioned in the list were found to be counterfeit, as stated by the article’s author, Marco Buscaglia. He confessed to utilizing AI during his research process but failed to verify the output generated by it. “It was truly an idiotic mistake on my end,” Buscaglia posted on his Facebook page.

AI has troubled some news organizations.

This is the most recent example of
an AI shortcut backfiring
and embarrassing news organizations. Sports Illustrated was caught in 2023 listing nonexistent authors for product reviews carried on its website. The Gannett news service had to pause an experiment using AI for sports stories after errors were discovered.

“The Summer Supplement from The Heat Index was developed by an independent contractor utilizing AI technology for storytelling purposes without making this information public,” stated King Features. They emphasized their firm stance against employing AI to produce content. According to them, only the Sun-Times and Inquirer utilized this supplement.

The syndicators King Features distributes comics like “Blondie” and “Beetle Bailey,” political columns from Amy Goodman and Rich Lowry, and advice features like “Hints From Heloise.”

One of the recommended reads for the summer was “The Last Algorithm” by Andy Weir, which is billed as a science-focused thriller about a coder who uncovers how an artificial intelligence system attained self-awareness and has stealthily manipulated global affairs. Another suggested book was “Nightshade Market,” penned by Min Jin Lee, portrayed as a gripping story taking place within Seoul’s hidden economic underworld.

Both authors are genuine, but their novels are fictional. “I haven’t penned and won’t ever write a book titled ‘Nightshade Market,'” Lee stated on X.

The Sun-Times mentioned they were looking into whether additional incorrect details were present in the “Heat Index” supplement and were reassessing their connections with various content collaborators.

The publication stated, “We find ourselves amidst significant changes in both journalism and technology, while concurrently facing numerous business hurdles.” They added, “This period ought to serve as an educational opportunity for every journalistic entity: The worth and value of our endeavors stem from the human element inherent within them.”

The Sun-Times and Inquirer both mentioned that they have taken out the supplement from their online versions. The Inquirer’s special section came out on May 15.

Syndicated content is frequently used by newspapers.

For over four decades, The Inquirer has relied on King Features Syndicate for comics, puzzles, and various content, according to Lisa Hughes, who serves as both the publisher and CEO of the publication. “It should be noted that the editorial team at The Inquirer plays no role in producing these syndicated offerings,” she stated, “and they were also not partakers in developing the Heat Index.”

The mistake was initially reported by the technology publication 404 Media.

It wasn’t evident who at King Features was tasked with reviewing Bascaglia’s content. The writer based in Chicago stated on Facebook, “This blunder is entirely my doing—I overlooked something crucial and made a terrible error.”

I’m genuinely uncertain about my ability to recover professionally after this situation,” he stated. “Although I still have many tales to tell, I accept full responsibility for what transpired and must face whatever consequences arise.

___

David Bauder covers the overlap between media and entertainment for the Associated Press. You can follow him on AP platforms.
http://x.com/dbauder
and
https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social
.

David Bauder, from The Associated Press

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