NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 The recommended reading list contained some works of fiction. It also contained some works that were, in fact, actually fictional.
The content distributor King Features says it has fired a writer who used artificial intelligence to produce a story on summer reading suggestions that contained books that didn’t exist.
The list appeared in 鈥淗eat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer,” a special section distributed in Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer last week.
More than half of the books listed were fake, according to the piece’s author, Marco Buscaglia, who admitted to using AI for help in his research but didn’t double-check what it produced. 鈥淎 really stupid error on my part,鈥 Buscaglia wrote on his Facebook page.
AI has bedeviled some news organizations
It’s the latest instance of 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.
鈥淭he Heat Index summer supplement was created by a freelance contract creator who used AI in its story development without disclosing the use of AI,鈥 the syndicators King Features said in a statement, noting it has a strict policy against using AI to create material. Only the Sun-Times and Inquirer have used the supplement, the organization said.
The syndicators King Features distributes comics like 鈥淏londie鈥 and 鈥淏eetle Bailey,鈥 political columns from Amy Goodman and Rich Lowry, and advice features like 鈥淗ints From Heloise.鈥
Among the summer reading suggestions was 鈥淭he Last Algorithm鈥 by Andy Weir, described as 鈥渁 science-driven thriller following a programmer who discovers an AI system has developed consciousness鈥 and been secretly influencing world events. 鈥淣ightshade Market,鈥 by Min Jin Lee, was said to be a 鈥渞iveting tale set in Seoul’s underground economy.鈥
Both authors are real, but the books aren’t. 鈥淚 have not written and will not be writing a novel called 鈥楴ightshade Market,鈥欌 Lee posted on X.
The Sun-Times said it was investigating whether any other inaccurate information was included in the 鈥淗eat Index鈥 supplement, and reviewing its relationships with other content partners.
鈥淲e 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,” the newspaper said. 鈥淭his should be a learning moment for all journalism organizations: Our work is valued 鈥 and valuable 鈥 because of the humanity behind it.鈥
Both the Sun-Times and Inquirer said they have removed the supplement from its digital editions. The Inquirer special section was published on May 15.
Syndicated features are common for newspapers
The Inquirer has used King Features for comics, puzzles and other material for more than 40 years, said Lisa Hughes, its publisher and CEO. 鈥淭he Inquirer newsroom is not involved in the production of these syndicated features, nor was it involved in creating Heat Index,鈥 she said.
The blunder was first reported by the tech publication 404 Media.
It was not clear who at King Features had responsibility for editing Bascaglia’s material. The Chicago-based writer said on Facebook that 鈥淚 am completely at fault here 鈥 just an awful oversight and a horrible mistake.鈥
鈥淚’m not really sure I bounce back from this situation career-wise,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 have a lot of stories left in me but I am fully accountable for what happened and will have to endure the effects, whatever they may be.鈥
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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and .
