Scandal about Chicago Sun-Times: False books in summer reading list!

Scandal about Chicago Sun-Times: False books in summer reading list!

Chicago, USA - On May 22, 2025, the Chicago Sun-Times published a summer reading list for 2025, which caused excitement. The list found recommendations for 15 authors, but only five of the novels listed actually exist. The rest of the advertised titles turned out to be fictional, including at least ten fake books that were attributed to real authors. The newspaper announced that it had commissioned a content supplier named King Features who had entrusted a freelancer with the creation of the content.

Marco Buscaglia, the freelancer, used a AI agent to generate the book recommendations. The Chicago Sun-Times admitted that this section was published without prior editorial examination, which led to controversy. Buscaglia regretted the incident and took responsibility for the mistake after King Features separated from him. The effects of the use of AI in journalism were referred to by Arstechnica as a "confabulation", a phenomenon in which AI spends incorrect information as true.

The list of recommendations

The summer reading list contained some prominent names, such as Isabel Allende and Andy Weir, to which titles such as "Tidewater Dreams" and "The Last Algorithm" were attributed. But these books do not exist and were created by the AI ​​system. The truth came to light when a review showed that only five of the fifteen recommended books, including works by real authors such as Françoise Sagan and Ray Bradbury, are actually published.

The list was a clear mistake and showed the dangers associated with the use of AI for editorial content. According to Buscaglia, he usually used AI for research, but this time did not check the content for its correctness. He expressed his disappointment with the incident and found that such mistakes had to be avoided.

reactions to the controversy

On Tuesday morning, the Chicago Sun-Times reacted to the controversy over bluesky. They explained that they examined how the incorrect information could get in print. The newspaper's official publication account emphasized that it was not an editorial content and that these suggestions were not approved by the editorial team.

The incidents raise questions about the responsible use of AI in journalism. The mistake of the Chicago Sun-Times is seen as a learning moment for journalistic organizations that are increasingly using digital technologies to create content. While AI offers many options, the need for human review remains essential to prevent the spread of misinformation.

In the future, it is expected that the media industry will remain vigilant and critically question the implementation of AI applications in order to avoid similar faux pas and to maintain the integrity of journalism.

For more information about this incident, read the detailed reporting on arstechnica .