US EditionDid the Chicago Sun-Times Use AI to Create a Summer Reading List Filled With Fake Books?
- The Chicago Sun-Times published a summer reading list on May 18, 2025, containing 15 books including several fabricated titles attributed to real authors.
- The list originated from content provided under license by King Features, a division of Hearst Newspapers, and was partially created using artificial intelligence, which resulted in the inclusion of fabricated titles and fictional sources.
- The Sun-Times stated the reading list was not editorial content or approved by the newsroom and announced it is removing the section while updating policies to better identify and vet third-party materials.
- Victor Lim, marketing director for Chicago Public Media, emphasized that maintaining accuracy in all content provided to readers is essential and confirmed that an investigation is currently in progress, with additional updates to be shared soon.
- This incident highlights broader media challenges with AI-generated content, prompting calls for stronger editorial oversight and raising concerns about the erosion of trust in journalistic and cultural content.
14 Articles
14 Articles
AI-Hallucinated "Summer Reading List" in Hearst-Supplied Insert Published by Chicago Sun Times and Philadelphia Inquirer
Axios (Justin Kaufmann & Scott Rosenberg) reports: The Sun-Times is feeling the heat after it printed a summer reading list Sunday, citing multiple non-existent titles by real authors — which was partially produced by AI…. The list begins with a nonexistent "novel by the 'beloved Chilean American author' Isabel Allende titled 'Tidewater Dreams,'" "ostensibly a 'climate fiction novel' that explores how one family confronts rising seas levels whil…
Viral AI-Generated Summer Guide Printed by Chicago Sun-Times Was Made by Magazine Giant Hearst
Subscribe Join the newsletter to get the latest updates. Success Great! Check your inbox and click the link. Error Please enter a valid email address. The “Heat Index” summer guide newspaper insert published by the Chicago Sun-Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer that contained AI-generated misinformation and reading lists full of books that don’t exist was created by a subsidiary of the magazine giant Hearst, 404 M…
Chicago Sun-Times And Philadelphia Inquirer Publish Huge Summer Insert Of Pure, Uncut Chatbot Slop
Over this past weekend, the Chicago Sun-Times and Philadelphia Inquirer's weekend editions included identical huge "Best of Summer" inserts; in the Inquirer's digital edition the insert runs 54 pages, while the entire rest of the paper occupies 36. Before long, readers began noticing something strange about the "Summer reading list for 2025" section of the insert. Namely, that while the list includes some very well-known authors, most of the boo…
Did the Chicago Sun-Times Use AI to Create a Summer Reading List Filled With Fake Books?
According to an online creator, the Chicago Sun-Times published a summer reading list full of books that didn't actually exist. If true, it strongly suggests the newspaper used AI to generate the list, and didn't fact check before publishing.
Chicago Sun-Times publishes made-up books and fake experts in AI debacle
The May 18th issue of the Chicago Sun-Times features dozens of pages of recommended summer activities: new trends, outdoor activities, and books to read. But some of the recommendations point to fake, AI-generated books, and other articles quote and cite people that don’t appear to exist. Alongside actual books like Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman, a summer reading list features fake titles by real authors. Min Jin Lee is a real, lauded nov…
How an AI-generated summer reading list got published in major newspapers
Newspapers around the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and at least one edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer, published a syndicated book list featuring made-up books by famous authors.
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Bias Distribution
- 75% of the sources lean Left
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